^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  *^5J 


Presented    by       CjV\e/  (LA  ^^ A-\^  O  ^C . 


Division  ■■ 
Section  •.W:.W>r..v-  • 


A   CRUISE 


THE   ORIENT. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/cruisetoorientOOoehl 


SHiP   OF    THE    DESERT- 


A  Cruise 


TO 


The  Orient 


by  y 

Rev.  J.  C.  Oehler 

Taylor,  Texas 


Second  One  Thousand 


Richmond,  Va. 

Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication 

Nineteen-seven 


Whittbt   &   Sheppeeson, 

PRINTKnS, 

Richmond,    Va. 


To  My  Friend. 
MxB&  Smma  IC.  l|ntiiarJ», 

This  Book  is  GEATEixnLrY  and  Affectionately 
Dedicated. 


A  Word  to  the  Reader. 

NOTHING  was  farther  from  the  mind  of  the  writer, 
when  the  Cruise  to  the  Orient  was  made,  than 
the  publishing  of  a  book. 

His  purpose,  at  that  time,  was  the  careful  study  of 
those  subjects  which  can  be  considered!  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage by  the  student  as  he  stands  upon  the  ground  with 
which  they  are  so  inseparably  connected;  therefore,  for 
his  own  profit,  a  correct  record  of  each  day's  happenings 
was  kept  by  the  author. 

After  his  return  home,  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  de- 
liver a  course  of  lectures  to  his  people  on  successive 
Lord's  Day  evenings. 

The  next  request  from  his  friends  was  for  the  publica- 
tion of  the  substance  of  those  addresses  in  the  daily  and 
weekly  issues  of  the  home  papers. 

Last  of  all,  many  of  those  whose  judgment  he  most 
highly  valued,  urged  the  importance  of  putting  the  letters 
in  more  permanent  form.  Therefore,  responsibility  for 
the  placing  of  this  little  volume  in  your  hands  must  be 
shared  by  the  author's  friends. 

Throughout  this  work  the  only  attempt  at  originality 
has  been  to  treat  of  the  subjects  as  they  impressed  them- 
selves upon  the  writer  amidst  the  sights  and  scenes  of 


4        ■         A  WORD  TO  THE  READER. 

r 

those  lands  in  which  universal  interest  converges;  and 
his  sincere  desire  has  been  that  he  might  share  with 
others  the  priceless  benefits  of  that  memorable  pil- 
grimage. 

From  first  to  last,  the  object  of  this  unpretentious  book 
has  been,  not  so  much  the  entertainment,  as  the  lasting 
profit  of  the  reader.  And  if  these  pages  shall  be  the 
means  of  enhancing  your  interest  in  the  reverent  study 
of  the  Word  of  God,  the  writer  will  be  abundantly 
satisfied.  J.  C.  O. 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  I. 
From  Texas  to  New  York,      -------        g 

CHAPTER  H. 
From  New  York  to  Funchal,     ------       17, 

CHAPTER  HI. 
From  New  York  to  Funchal,     -_---_      26 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Madeira,       __-___.__--_--      34 

CHAPTER  V. 
Gibraltar,    -------------      42 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Algiers^         _--_-__-_---_      ^q 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Malta,      _-_______--___       59 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Athens,        -------____-_      57 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Constantinople,        ---_-_____      77 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 
Smyrna  and  Ephesus,       ________      84 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Patmos,  Rhodes  and  Baalbek,        _____      gi 

CHAPTER  Xn. 
Damascus  and  Beyrout,      ________     100 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
Haifa  to  Sea  of  Galilee,  '-------109 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Cana,  Nazareth,  and  Samaria,       -----     118 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Shechem,  Jacob's  Well,  to  Holy  City,      _    -    -     126 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Jericho  and  Gilgal,       ---------135 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Dead  Sea  and  Jordan,       _--_--__     143 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The    Holy    City,       _-__-_--__     151 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The    Holy    City,      __________     i6i 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Olivet  and  Calvary,      _------_-i7o 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
World's  Fourth  S.  S.  Convention,      _    -    -        182 

CHAPTER  XXn. 
Bethlehem  and  Joppa_,      --------188 

CHAPTER  XXni. 
Alexandria  to  Cairo,      --        ------197 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Great  Pyramid  and  the  Sphinx,      _    _    _    207 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Heliopolis  and  Memphis,       -------216 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Egypt's  Capital  and  History,      ------    226 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Voyage  to  Naples,      ----.-.---_-     237 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Rome,      -      -------------    245 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Rome,      -      -------------    255 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Pompeii,  --------------    263 


CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT 

CHAPTER  I. 

From  Texas  to  New  York. 

ON  the  second  day  of  March,  1904,  I  left  Taylor  to  join 
the  Oriental  cruise,  booked  to  leave  New  York  only 
six  days  later.  My  ticket  read  over  the  International 
and  Great  Northern  via  St.  Louis.  This  popular  route, 
familiar  to  most  travellers  to  the  Northeast,  I  found  very 
interesting.  Our  train  arrived  at  St.  Louis  over  one  hour 
late,  causing  us  to  miss  the  eastbound  Wabash  train  for 
Buffalo.  I  was  not  sorry  to  spend  the  night  in  the  "Fair 
City,"  for  I  could  then  have  the  trip  to  Detroit  in  the 
daytime. 

At  nine  o'clock  next  morning,  I  boarded  the  "Wabash 
First  Links  in       No.  4."     Here  I  wish  to  say  that  I  have 

the  Chain.  ncvcr  SBcn  morc  faultless  service  than  that 
rendered  by  this  great  system. 

How  majestic  was  the  "Father  of  Waters,"  as  we  pulled 
up  the  west  bank  to  the  railway  bridge ! 

The  fine  farming  lands  of  Illinois  were  a  constant 
pleasure  to  me.  I  was  specially  delighted  with  the  river, 
from  which  this  road  takes  its  name.  For  so  many  miles 
it  kept  us  company,  and  entertained  us  with  its  rapid 
current,  and  ledges  of  ice  on  each  bank,  thrown  up  by 
the  high  water,  resulting  from  the  very  recent  rains. 
The  tall,  lithe,  graceful,  strong,  and  stately  sycamores 
along  this  beautiful  stream,  reminded  me  constantly  of 
the  very  complimentary  and  happy  sobriquet  of  Indiana's 
favorite  son,  "The  Tall  Sycamore  of  the  Wabash." 

I  shall  never  forget  the  perfect  exhibit  of  natural  ma- 


lo  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

sonry  at  Williamsport.  The  place  is  noted  for  its  unex- 
celled quarries.  The  very  finest  advertisement  that  any 
quarry  could  have,  is  the  one  referred  to  in  the  form  of 
strata  seen  there,  as  if  laid  out  mathematically  by  the 
Master  Builder.  I  have  seen  nothing  more  perfect,  not 
even  along  the  Rio  Grande  or  the  Saguenay. 

The  city  in  Illinois  that  impressed  me  most  was  Dan- 
ville. Just  above  Williamsport,  you  cross  the  river  to 
Attica.  But  the  most  attractive  city  in  the  land  is,  per- 
haps, Lafayette,  farther  up  the  Wabash.  It  is  situated 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  is  perfectly  drained,  while 
its  feet  are  laved  in  the  clear  waters  of  this  fascinating 
stream.  Another  feature  I  shall  long  remember,  is  the 
graceful  manner  in  which  the  beautiful  homes  rise  above 
one  another,  upon  successive  terraces  on  the  east  and  west 
banks  of  this  enchanting  river.  Logansport  is  another 
important  city  on  this  line.  It  is  noted  for  its  foundries 
and  barrel  factories.  Peru  is  perforated  with  wells.  One 
sees  a  forest  of  derricks  all  over  that  territory,  it  having 
been  a  productive  oil  field  a  few  years  since. 

At  Butler,  the  road  crosses  the  Ohio  State  line.  One 
who  observes,  sees  the  difference  between  the  sister  States 
of  Illinois  and  Indiana.  The  contrast  might  be  expressed 
by  the  statement  that  the  one  is  a  farming,  while  the  other 
is  a  dairying  section.  In  Illinois  one  is  charmed  with  the 
splendid,  rich  farms;  in  Indiana,  one  is  equally  pleased 
with  the  well-built,  attractive,  large  barns  and  neat  home- 
steads. 

The  junction  point  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Chicago 
branches  of  the  Wabash  system  is  Montpelier. 

After  a  most  pleasant,  profitable  day,  I  reached  Detroit 
in  time  for  a  refreshing  night's  rest. 

Like  an  industrious  man,  I  rose  at  half-past  five.     I 


FROM  TEXAS  TO  NEW  YORK.  ii 

was  astonished  at  its  being  so  light  at  that  hour,  till  I 
remembered  that,  in  longitude,  I  was  nearing  the  seventy- 
fifth  meridian.  After  breakfast  I  started  out  to  see  the 
wonderful  Detroit  River.  It  is  a  magnificent  stream.  Its 
waters  are  clear  as  crystal,  and  its  current  very  swift. 
It  is  about  one  mile  wide,  twenty-eight  miles  long,  and 
forty  feet  deep.  The  trains  are  ferried  across  in  trans- 
ports. I  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  city  of  Detroit. 
Its  character  sustains  its  reputation  as  being  a  very  solid, 
progressive  city.  I  shall  always  remember  the  crunching, 
crashing  ice  panorama,  as  it  was  borne  along  by  the 
resistless  current  of  the  mighty  river. 

The  carrying  capacity  of  the  great  transports  is  aston- 
ishing. The  entire  passenger  train  was  put  on  board  and 
taken  across  the  river,  whose  current  is  twelve  miles  an 
hour,  at  Detroit. 

I  was  much  interested  in  the  ride  for  miles  along  Lake 
St.  Clair,  which  was  frozen  solid.  Ice-boats  were  running 
in  all  directions.  These  boats  are  equipped  with  three 
steel  runners  and  a  sail. 

Throughout  Canada,  everything  was  covered  with 
snow  and  ice,  and  hauling  was  being  done  on  sleds,  while 
the  jingle  of  sleigh-bells  made  the  whole  country  merry. 
I  noticed  at  Thomasville  there  were  evidences  of  a  great 
oil  deposit.  The  derricks  were  about  as  plentiful  as  at 
Peru,  Indiana.  The  chief  industry  df  this  part  of  Canada 
is  lumbering.  The  logging  is  done  in  the  winter,  when 
the  snow  and  ice  make  the  hauling  a  comparatively  easy 
matter. 

Chatham,  St.  Thomas,  and  Cayuga  are  attractive  cities 
along  this  road.  From  St.  Thomas  on  to  Niagara,  On- 
tario, the  country  is  well  drained  and  even  quite  pic- 
turesque. At  nine  p.  m.  we  arrived  at  Niagara  Falls, 
where  I  spent  two  nights  and  a  day. 


12  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  next  day,  being  the  Sabbath,  I  spent  in  attending 
divine  services,  morning  and  evening,  and  in  worshipping 
God,  through  communing  with  him  in  the  temple  of  na- 
ture, by  observing  his  handiwork.  At  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  where  I  worshipped.  I  was  gratefully  im- 
pressed with  the  genuine  Christian  hospitality  shown  me, 
by  those  who  were  not  forgetful  to  entertain  the  stranger. 
I  determined  to  spend  the  day  alone,  "near  to  nature's 
heart."  After  breakfast  I  went  directly  to  look  at  the 
falls  from  the  American  side.  I  first  went  to  Prospect 
Point.  Here  the  huge  mountain  of  frozen  mist  rose  in 
all  of  its  awful  grandeur.  Thence  I  walked  up  to  the 
stone  bridge  leading  to  the  main  island.  It  was  difficult 
to  realize  that  this  was  the  same  place  that  I  had  seen 
several  times  before,  in  the  open  season.  I  passed  to  Luna 
Island,  and  from  point  to  point  on  Goat  Island,  almost 
speechless.  Never  do  I  remember  having  been  so  im- 
pressed with  the  almightiness  of  God. 

With  wonderful  impressiveness  did  the  first  verse  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures  come  to  me  then  and  there:  "In  the 
beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth."  I  con- 
tinued my  silent  walk  to  the  point  nearest  Horseshoe 
Falls.  Thence  I  skirted  the  island,  and  crossed  the  fas- 
cinating little  bridges  linking  the  Three  Sisters.  Along 
much  of  my  slippery  path  I  crept  with  great  caution,  for 
a  misstep,  or  loss  of  footing,  might  have  proven  fatal  in 
many  places.  From  the  Three  Sisters  I  enjoyed  a  splen- 
did view  of  the  rapids  on  both  sides  of  the  island,  above 
the  cataract.  There  the  ice  was  dashing,  by 
Fmlrs'ofice.  *^®  million  tons,  with  a  momentum  that 
would  seem  fabulous.  A  large  part  of 
Niagara  was  frozen  solid !  This  you  could  hardly  imagine, 
when   you   had    looked    at   the    fearful    current   in   the 


FROM  TEXAS  TO  NEW  YORK.  13 

summer-time.  Circumstances  were  peculiarly  favorable, 
for  the  past  winter  had  been  the  coldest  within  a  period 
of  thirty-two  years.  It  had  been  my  ambition  to  see  the 
greatest  cataract  in  the  world  in  the  grasp  of  the  winter 
king.    I  saw  it,  and  was  happy. 

Any  attempt  to  describe  this  ramble  would  be  incom- 
plete without  a  reference  to  the  dense  forest  of  birch, 
beech,  ash,  elm,  oak,  maple,  cedar,  poplar,  pine,  larch,  and 
chestnut.  I  was  delighted  with  a  little  oblong  red  berry. 
It  was  peculiarly  welcome  in  the  midst  of  the  snow  and 
ice  that  abounded  everywhere.  The  sweetest  little  sur- 
prise came  when  I  heeded  the  sign,  "To  the  Spring."  I 
fully  expected  it  to  be  frozen  tight  and  fast,  too.  But 
when  I  came  to  it,  I  found  it  as  gracious  and  hospitable 
as  if  it  had  been  the  month  of  June.  I  never  relished  a 
drink  of  water  more  than  that  one. 

Before  leaving  the  island  I  turned  aside  to  examine  a 
strange  freak  of  nature:  a  limb  joined  two  cedar  trees, 
several  feet  apart,  running  through  the  fork  of  a  third 
tree,  standing  between  the  Siamese  twins.  Thence  I  re- 
crossed  the  stone  bridge  to  the  city  of  Niagara  Falls. 

After  dinner  I  walked  over  the  Cantilever  bridge  to  the 
Canada  side.  I  went  by  the  inclined  path  to  the  "Maid 
of  the  Mist  Landing."  From  that  point  I  walked  across 
the  ice  gorge  and  climbed  the  "Mountain  of  Mist."  It 
seemed  so  strange  to  one  who  had  crossed  the  same  place 
in  a  boat,  when  the  river  was  such  a  swelling  tide  that  the 
boat  tossed  like  a  cork  upon  its  heaving  bosom. 

After  crossing  to  the  Canada  side  on  the  ice  again,  I 
trudged  down  to  the  great  whirlpool,  stopping  frequently, 
both  going  and  coming,  to  look  at  the  leaping,  seething, 
foaming,  thundering  rapids  above  the  whirlpool.  On  re- 
turning, I  prolonged  my  walk  to  the  Horseshoe  Falls,  on 


14  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  Ontario  side.  Thence  I  could  see  the  falls  and  the 
rapids  above  them,  as  the  roaring  waters  were  trans- 
formed into  spray  in  an  instant.  The  column  of  vapor, 
at  times,  would  rise  to  a  height  of  three  or  four  hundred 
feet;  and  if  the  wind  happened  to  be  blowing  in  the 
wrong  direction,  the  chances  were  that  you  would  be  en- 
veloped in  a  cold,  wet  veil.  There,  too,  I  had  a  fine  view 
of  the  gorge,  the  ice-bridge  and  the  mountains  of  spray 
under  the  cataracts,  on  both  sides. 

There  are  three  bridges  across  the  awful  chasm,  which 
is  more  than  two  hundred  feet  in  depth.  Two  of  these 
bridges  are  railway  structures.  One  of  the  railway 
bridges  has  also  a  lower  bridge,  for  walking  and  driving. 
These  railway  bridges  are  controlled  by  the  Michigan 
Central  and  Grand  Trunk  systems,  respectively.  The 
third,  the  Cantilever,  is  used  for  street-cars,  drives  and 
walks.  The  span  of  the  Cantilever  is  nearly  eight  hun- 
dred feet.    This  bridge  is  nearest  the  falls. 

Niagara,  Ontario,  has  a  population  of  six  thousand, 
while  Niagara,  N.  Y.,  has  twenty-two  thousand.  I  re- 
turned to  the  United  States  for  supper,  after  having  made 
more  than  the  traditional  Sabbath  day's  journey.  After 
returning  from  church,  and  writing  a  letter  home,  I  was 
fatigued  enough  to  appreciate  a  good  night's  rest. 

On  Monday  morning,  I  rose  at  six  and  hurried  to  the 
New  York  Central  station.  There  I  purchased  a  ticket 
for  the  fast  train  for  New  York.  At  6  48  our  train  was 
called,  and  we  were  off,  up  the  Niagara,  to  Buffalo,  on 
Lake  Erie.  There  we  had  to  change  cars,  and  I  had  a 
cup  of  coffe  that  reminded  me  of  home. 

I  soon  boarded  the  New  York  train,  which  is  one  of 
the  very  finest  in  the  world.  For  some  distance  she  ran 
at  the  rate  of  ninety  miles  per  hour.    A  run  of  twenty-six 


FROM  TEXAS  TO  NEW  YORK.  15 

miles  was  made  in  twenty  minutes.  For  a  solid  hour,  a 
mile  a  minute  was  covered.  Although  the  rate  of  speed 
was  so  high,  I  could  write  with  ease  as  the  cars  slipped 
over  the  rails.  All  the  way  from  Niagara  to  New  York, 
the  snow  and  ice  covered  everything.  Niagara  and  Erie 
were  frozen  over,  as  were  the  Mohawk  and  the  Hudson, 
so  that  double  teams  were  being  driven  across  them  on 
the  ice. 

Along  this  route  lie  some  splendid  cities,  as  Rochester, 
Syracuse,  Utica,  Schenectady,  and  Albany.  There  is 
much  that  is  grand  in  the  landscape,  throughout  the  entire 
journey.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  hills  toward  the 
South,  and  the  scenery  along  the  Mohawk  and  the  his- 
toric Hudson. 

I  was  intensely  interested  in  the  ice  harvesting  down 
the  Hudson.  Hundreds  of  ice-houses  are  filled  and  closed 
for  summer.  One  thing  that  was  very  attractive  to  me, 
was  the  ice-boats,  which  appeared  on  the  Hudson  in  fleets. 

In  due  time,  we  arrived  at  the  Grand  Central  station, 
New  York  City.  I  went  at  once  to  the  Broadway  Cen- 
tral Hotel,  where  I  found  letters  awaiting  me.  I  found 
a  large  crowd  of  tourists  at  the  Broadway  Central,  as 
that  was  headquarters  for  the  cruisers  till  the  time  of  the 
sailing  of  the  Grosser  Kurfuerst. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  March,  I  completed  my 
shopping  in  preparation  for  the  long  sea  voyage.  Promi- 
nent among  these  little  purchases  was  a  good  steamer 
rug,  as  I  knew  the  value  of  such  an  article.  At  12 130, 
I  left  the  hotel  for  Hoboken.  It  was  a  great  press  from 
there  to  the  steamer. 

On  reaching  the  vessel,  I  found  all  arrangements,  to 
the  last  detail,  complete.  Just  after  going  aboard,  I  found 
W.  L.  Walker,  a  friend  of  my  youth,  C.  A.  Oliver,  a 


i6 


CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 


Princeton  school-mate,  and  C.  O.  Martindale,  whom  I 
had  examined  for  licensure  and  ordination.  I  also  saw 
E.  M.  Fergusson,  an  old  Princeton  class-mate,  and  Dr. 
Wilson  Phraner  and  Dr.  Jessup,  both  venerable  gentle- 
men, the  one,  a  young  man  at  five  and  eighty,  and  the 
other,  a  missionary  for  forty-eight  years  in  Beyrout, 
Syria.  Dr.  Jessup  was  returning,  with  his  devoted  wife 
and  daughter,  to  his  life-long  work.  Before  sailing,  I 
had  time  to  mail  my  souvenir  list  of  passengers,  some 
souvenir  cards  and  my  illustrated  itinerary,  to  the  home 
folks. 


CHAPTER  II. 
From  New  York  to  Funchal. 

AT  the  appointed  hour,  the  captain  issued  the  com- 
mand, the  Grosser  Kurfuerst  loosed  her  hawsers, 
and  we  put  out  to  sea.  Our  gallant  ship  was 
a  thing  of  beauty  as  she  steamed  down  the  harbor,  be- 
decked with  hundreds  of  flags,  showing  every  color  of 
the  rainbow.  These  ensigns  were  strung  on  cables,  unit- 
ing the  two  great  masts  with  the  bow  and  stern,  respec- 
tively, and  joining  the  masts  together.  These  decorations 
constitute  the  steamer's  "glad  clothes,"  or  gala  attire. 

The  start  was  full  of  interest.  There  was  a  display 
of  pocket  linen,  that  suggested  a  brisk  flurry  in  a  snow- 
storm, on  board,  answering  to  a  like  demon- 
Piigrims  sail  for  stratiou  ou  the  piers  and  on  neighboring 
Land.  steamers,  where  there  were  thousands  wav- 
ing "bon  voyage"  to  their  friends  departing 
for  the  far  East.  Our  good  ship  steamed  through  the 
magnificent  harbor,  under  the  bright  light  of  the  after- 
noon sun. 

It  had  been  twenty  years  since  I  had  embarked  from 
this  same  pier  at  Hoboken.  The  vessel  then  was  the  noble 
but  ill-fated  Elba,  of  the  same  line,  the  "Nord  Deutscher 
Lloyd."  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Elba  was  rammed 
by  a  Caithness  packet  steamer,  in  the  North  Sea.  It  was 
black  night,  and  she  went  to  the  bottom,  with  all  on  board 
except  one  woman,  who  floated  on  a  life-preserver  raft, 
till  picked  up  by  some  craft  that  happened  to  be  passing. 


i8  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

thirty  minutes  after  this  awful  catastrophe.  The  Scotch 
vessel  was  never  seen,  having  gone  down  with  the 
lamented  Elba.  After  you  have  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
a  certain  ship,  you  feel  a  sense  of  proprietorship  in,  and 
form  a  definite  attachment  for  it.  Your  interest  in  it 
never  wanes.  So  I  thought  of  the  Elba,  and  her  noble 
crew,  and  her  precious  human  freight,  as  going  down  in 
the  waters  where  she  had  made  her  trial  trip,  and  over 
which  she  had  so  often  sailed  in  her  majesty. 

Among  the  places  of  interest  that  greeted  us  as  we 
"slipped  out  to  sea,"  were  North  River,  the  Battery, 
Brooklyn  Bridge,  East  River,  Fort  Columbus,  Fort  Ham- 
ilton, Fort  Lafayette,  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  Ellis  Island, 
and  Fort  Hancock  on  Sandy  Hook.  The  last-named  fort 
is  the  most  modern  of  the  harbor  defences.  This  strong- 
hold is  manned  by  the  latest  Improved  disappearing  guns. 
The  old  masonry  structures  have  given  way  to  the  more 
unpretentious,  modern  earthen  ones.  The  latter  have  the 
advantage  for  two  reasons:  First,  they  do  not  aflford  so 
attractive  a  target  for  the  enemy;  and'  second,  they  are 
not  so  destructible.  It  will  long  be  remembered  how  ef- 
fective the  improvised  forts  of  palmetto  logs  and  sand 
were  about  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  during  the 
war  between  the  States. 

Outside  the  bar,  the  official  pilot  left  our  steamer  for 
his  own  boat,  which  lay  waiting  for  him.  The  pilot 
was  "loaded  to  the  gunwale"  with  letters,  postals, 
souvenir  cards,  telegrams  and  cablegrams,  sent  by  the 
cruisers,  between  the  dock  and  the  bar.  Those,  of  course, 
he  sent  upon  landing  in  New  York.  Then  several  lusty, 
wicked  screams  from  the  sirens,  were  exchanged  between 
the  Kiirfuerst  and  the  Nezv  York,  the  pilot's  jaunty  boat, 
and  we  were  under  full  head  of  steam,  oflf  for  the  deep 
blue  sea. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    19 

I  found  myself  very  fortunate  in  my  room-mates,  Dr. 
John  R.  Brown,  of  Providence;  Rev.  G.  J.  Gongaware, 
of  Warren,  Pa.;  and  Mr.  John  W.  Blank,  of  Emporia, 
Kansas.    We  had  a  delightful,  roomy,  well-located,  well- 
appointed  stateroom,  and  were  happy.    Almost  every  pas- 
senger was  present  at  the  supper-table.     The  delicious 
music  of  the   ship's  orchestra,  together  with  the  feast 
spread  before  us  in  the  dining-room,  gave  everything 
about  our  first  meal  on  board  the  air  of  a  banquet.    But 
on  toward  evening,  the  question  of  "mal  de 
First  Symptoms  mcr"  began  to  thrust  itself  upon  the  atten- 
of^Mai  de       ^.^^  ^£  ^^^  pilgrims.     Even  at  the  table, 
there  was  a  look  of  fearful  anticipation  on 
the  faces  of  a  great  many;  and  too  many  of  the  diners 
left  abruptly,  without  finishing  their  meal — some,  indeed, 
before  the  first  course  was  passed.     It  was  immensely 
amusing  to  see  the  effort,  on  the  part  of  so  many,  to  be 
brave  and  "not  go  down."    To  tell  the  truth,  I  was  not 
quite  certain  about  myself,  for  being  a  little  hungry,  I 
partook  rather  freely  of  the  absolutely  faultless  supper.    I 
took  the  precaution  of  staying  outside,  on  deck,  in  the 
open  air,  till  nearly  eleven  o'clock.     This  is  the  finCvSt 
preventive  of  sea-sickness.     When  I  did  retire  to  my 
stateroom,  I  went  to  bed  to  sleep  like  a  baby,  "rocked  in 
the  cradle  of  the  deep."    I  never  enjoyed  a  better  night's 
rest.     The  ocean  swell  was  lively,  and  the  effect  was 
magical.  One  thing  about  the  personnel  of  the  passengers 
impressed  me  the  first  day:  there  was  an  air  of  refine- 
ment, gentleness  and  culture  that  I  had  never  seen  in  so 
large  a  company  of  men  and  women  before.    There  was 
nothing  strained  or  unnatural.     There  was  not  a  long 
face  among  the  passengers.     There  were  none  but  first- 
cabin  tourists  on  board.    Everybody  was  as  good  as  any- 
body else,  and  if  anything,  a  little  better,  too. 


20  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  following  facts,  obtained  from  official  sources,  will 

prove  welcome,  I  am  sure:    The  Grosser  Kurfuerst  was 

built  at  Danzig,  at  a  cost  of  two  million  dol- 

The  Grosser         j^^.^      jj^j.  ig^gth   is  582   f cct ;  beam,  62 

Kurfuerst.  b  o  '  ' 

feet ;  depth,  from  upper  deck  to  keel,  45 
feet ;  draught,  28  feet  of  water,  when  loaded  to  the  water- 
line.     She  measures   13,183  tons  displacement,  and  can 
carry  12,000  tons  of  cargo.     She  is  divided  into  thirteen 
water-tight  compartments  by  twelve  bulkheads.     Ten  of 
these  compartments  can  be  filled   with  water,  and  the 
vessel  continue  to  float.    She  carries  2,294  tons  of  water ; 
1,527  tons  of  ballast;  264  tons  of  feed  water  for  the  boil- 
ers ;  503  tons  of  drinking  water.    There  are  two  main  en- 
gines, each  quadruple    expansion,    with    four    cylinders, 
working  on  four  cranks,  together  turning  the  shaftings. 
The  shaft  of  each  engine  is  216  feet  long,  and  16  inches  in 
diameter.  She  is  equipped  with  twin  propellers,  each  screw 
measuring  eighteen  feet  in  diameter,  with  twenty  feet 
pitch.  Both  engines  register  9,700  horse-power,  while  each 
propeller  is  capable  of  making  eighty-two  revolutions  per 
minute,  giving  the  ship  a  speed  of  sixteen  knots  per  hour. 
The  steam,  for  all  purposes,  is  produced  in  five  double- 
end  and  two  single-end  cylindrical  boilers,  with  thirty-five 
fires  in  all.     The  coal  bunkers,  lying  around  and  above 
the  boilers,  carry  2,000  tons  of  coal,  and  the  daily  con- 
sumption of  coal  is  from  150  to  160  tons.  There  are  three 
dynamos  supplying  the  electricity,  for  the  one  thousand 
lights,  and  the  motors  in  the  cold  storage  and  the  laundry. 
There  is  a  hydraulic  machine,  supplying  the  power  for 
four  hydraulic  cranes,  for  handling  cargo  and  baggage. 
There  Is  an  evaporator,  producing  fresh  water  from  sea 
water,  for  feeding  the  boilers  at  the  rate  of  forty  tons 
per  day ;  and  also  a  distiller  for  making  twenty-four  tons 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    21 

of  drinking  water,  daily.  She  has  three  ten-ton  ice 
machines  for  refrigerator  rooms  and  provision  stores; 
and  twenty  pumps  for  the  various  uses  on  board. 

The  machinery  crew  consists  of  chief  engineer  and  nine 
assistant  engineers,  a  boilermaker,  an  electrician,  seven 
oilers,  a  hydraulic  man,  a  storekeeper,  twenty-seven  fire- 
men, and  thirty  trimmers — in  all  seventy-eight.  This 
crew  is  divided  into  three  watches,  of  eight  hours  each. 
The  ship's  crew  numbers  three  hundred  and  sixty-six 
men.  The  captain  is  the  supreme  commander,  having  the 
power  of  life  and  death  over  the  entire  crew.  Under 
him  are  four  officers  of  equal  rank :  the  chief  officer,  in 
charge  of  forty-eight  deck  sailors ;  the  chief  engineer, 
in  charge  of  sixty-eight  men;  the  purser,  in  charge  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  table,  kitchen,  room  and  deck 
stewards;  and  the  chief  doctor,  charged  with  keeping  all 
on  board  in  the  best  of  health.  The  chief  steward  has 
the  responsibility  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  men, 
who  have  the  care  of  the  dining-rooms,  gangways,  decks, 
cabins,  and  kitchens.  This  includes  four  second  stewards, 
seven  stewardesses,  sixteen  musicians,  nine  dishwashers, 
two  heads  of  pantries,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  table 
stewards.  Every  day  the  dishes  and  glassware  are 
counted.  The  company  allows  ten  per  cent,  for  breakage ; 
all  over  that,  must  be  paid  for  by  the  stewards,  the 
amount  being  equally  divided  amongst  them. 

The  "log"  is  an  instrument  that  records  the  speed  of 
the  ship.  It  consists  of  a  spiral  v^heel,  trailing  in  the  sea, 
fifty  fathoms  behind  the  vessel.  The  revolutions  of  this 
wheel,  are  in  direct  proportion  to  the  rate  of  speed  at 
which  the  ship  is  moving,  thus  registering,  accurately, 
the  distance  sailed  each  day.  The  daily  record  is  pub- 
lished at  noon,  on  the  bulletin  board. 

Independent  observations  are  taken  by  the  captain  and 


^2  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

chief  officer  every  morning  and  afternoon,  when  the  sun 
is  shining.  Thus  the  latitude  and  longitude  are  found, 
within  a  fraction  of  a  knot.  In  foggy  weather,  they  run 
on  "dead  reckoning,"  which  means  that  they  determine 
the  position  of  the  ship  from  the  speed  and  course. 

There  are  two  170-foot  steel  masts,  known  as  the  "fore- 
mast" and  "mainmast."  At  night,  a  light  is  carried  aloft 
upon  each  mast,  and  to  the  mainmast  the  Marconi  instru- 
ment is  attached.  On  the  foremast,  all  interest  centres 
in  the  crow's  nest,  in  which  two  sailor  boys  keep  watch 
for  one  hour  at  a  time,  day  and  night.  The  ship's  flags 
are  of  the  greatest  importance.  At  the  bow  flies  the  flag 
of  the  city  of  Bremen,  as  every  ship  carries  on  the  "jack- 
staff,"  the  flag  of  her  city.  At  the  top  of  the  foremast, 
she  carries  the  flag  of  the  nation  into  whose  harbor  she 
is  entering.  At  the  top  of  the  mainmast,  flies  the  flag  of 
the  ship's  company.  From  the  stern,  flies  the  German 
ensign.  Every  ship  flies  her  national  flag  at  her  stern. 
The  signal  flags  and  lights  speak  an  universal  language 
to  sailors.  Gala  flags  are  used  in  decorating  the  ship  on 
festive  occasions. 

At  the  port,  a  red  light  is  carried,  at  night,  while  a 
green  light  signals  from  the  starboard  side. 

The  following  is  the  official  list  of  supplies  taken  on 

board    at  New  York    before    sailing:     Poultry,  22,900 

pounds;  meats,  87,296;  flour,  95,000;  po- 

ship's  Supplies,    ^^j^gg^     142,887;     eggs,     57,000;     citrons, 

35,780;  sugar,  23,038;  coffee,  7,340;  fish,  17,521;  vege- 
tables, 38,190;  butter,  31,215;  tea,  735;  oranges,  40,250; 
milk,  9,262  gallons;  ice,  135  tons;  coal,  3,906  tons;  min- 
eral water,  50,228  bottles ;  dried  fruit,  8,866  pounds ;  and 
fresh  fruits,  18,050  pounds.  Other  supplies  were  taken 
on  at  other  points  on  the  cruise. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    23 

On  the  hurricane  deck  are  the  life-boats,  lashed  on  each 
side.  Each  boat  is  capable  of  holding  fifty  persons,  and 
is  fitted  with  sails  and  oars,  and  kept  ready  for  instant 
use.  On  each  voyage  these  life-boats  are  supplied  with 
water,  hardtack,  a  compass,  and  some  stimulants  and 
other  simple  medical  remedies.  In  case  of  need,  the  boats 
could  be  lowered  in  perfect  order,  and  ready  for  use,  in 
ninety  seconds.  Also,  as  a  precaution,  every  stateroom  is 
supplied  with  life-preservers. 

Wednesday  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  musical 
notes  of  the  bugle  call  at  seven.  The  sweet  strains  of  that 
bugler  were  like  those  of  our  splendid  mockingbird  of  the 
Southland  on  a  balmy  spring  morning.  I  dressed  and 
went  on  deck,  to  get  the  bracing  tonic  of  the  pure  ozone 
of  the  early  morning  sea.  The  Atlantic  was  just  enough 
agitated  to  make  the  sail  interesting.  The  sea  gulls  were 
still  in  evidence,  following  in  the  wake  of  the  ship.  After 
a  delightful  appetizer,  I  went  in  at  8:45,  and  enjoyed  a 
good  breakfast.  But,  alas!  that  many  who  had  fought 
with  me  the  night  before,  when  the  lights  were  brilliant 
and  the  music  captivating,  were  missing!  We  did  not 
ask  where  they  were.  We  knew  too  well.  My  friend, 
Gongaware,  had  to  quit  the  field  early  in  the  battle.  He 
ordered  soft-boiled  eggs,  grape  fruit  and  oranges,  but 
never  saw  the  order  filled.  He  did  not  remain  for  the 
return  of  the  waiter.  The  waiter  understood,  and  was 
respectful  and  silent. 

That  morning  I  received  an  envelope  enclosing  return 
ticket,  side-trip  tickets,  passports  and  steamer  chair  ticket. 
I  never  saw  a  grander  day.  The  face  of  the  deep  was 
flecked  with  white  caps,  which  always  indicate  a  good, 
stiff  breeze.  Our  path  lay  in  the  Gulf  Stream ;  our  direc- 
tion bore  to  the  southeast.    The  wind  was  blowing  from 


24  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  north.  Had  our  course  been  different,  the  effect  of 
the  wind  would  have  been  much  greater.  The  trip  was 
such  an  ideal  one,  that  I  could  but  wish  that  all  my  friends 
might  enjoy  it  with  me.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  we  met, 
in  New  York  harbor,  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.,  coming  into 
port.  This  is  the  largest  and  fleetest  liner  of  the  company. 
By  twelve  o'clock,  noon,  we  had  gained  twenty  minutes 
in  time  from  Sandy  Hook.  From  this  time  on,  our 
watches  had  to  be  changed  daily.  The  first  religious 
service  was  held  in  the  dining-room  at  9  p.  m.  It  was 
a  service  of  song.  Scripture  reading  and  prayer,  conducted 
by  Mr.  F.  H.  Jacobs,  of  New  York.  It  was  a  profitable 
hour  to  all  who  could  attend.  There  were,  by  that  time, 
hundreds  of  cases  of  sea-sickness.  The  exception  was 
when  the  passenger  did  not  feel  uncertain.  Personally, 
I  was  glad  to  report  freedom  from  the  least  suggestion 
of  discomfort.  After  a  jolly  time  on  deck,  after  service, 
with  some  fellow-passengers,  I  bade  them  good-night  and 
sought  the  arms  of  Morpheus. 

On  the  morning  of  the  tenth  of  March  there  was  a 
great  sea  running,  by  daylight.  A  rain  and  hail-storm 
overtook  us  from  the  northwest.  The  proverbial  rainbow, 
"the  sailor's  warning,"  was  in  distinct  evidence  soon  after 
sunrise.  The  boat  rocked,  rolled  and  plunged.  The  ex- 
perience proved  very  exhilarating  to  those  iwho  were  well 
and  strong,  but  not  so  to  the  other  large  list.  I  never 
saw  grander  swells.  The  waves  at  a  distance,  through 
the  mist,  looked  like  ranges  of  snow-capped  mountains. 

Up  to  noon,  our  ship  had  made  a  total  of  six  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  "sea  miles,"  and  gained  fifty  minutes  in 
time.  I  had  a  fine  appetite  for  dinner,  and  proved  equal 
to  the  occasion.  I  had  the  honor  of  a  seat  at  the  captain's 
table.     Our  section  won  the  name  of  "the  invincibles." 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    25 

I  never  felt  better  than  on  that  stormy  sea.  The  billows 
steadily  increased,  till  the  great  liner  ''reeled  to  and  fro 
like  a  drunken  man."  Had  the  storm  been  "dead  ahead," 
the  seas  would  have  rolled  over  the  hurricane  deck,  and 
compelled  the  hatches  to  be  closed,  A  storm  at  sea  baffles 
all  description — indeed,  it  would  not  be  what  it  is  if  it 
could  be  pictured.  How  delightful  it  was  to  stand  at  the 
prow  and  see  the  great  leviathan  rise  to  an  incredible 
height,  only  to  fall  to  a  corresponding  depth !  At  times 
it  would  almost  take  your  breath.  An  experience  quite 
as  interesting  was  enjoyed  at  the  stern.  The  angry  seas 
came  rolling  after  us,  as  if  they  would  overwhelm  the 
ship.  But  the  powerful  twin  propellers  were  doing  their 
work  at  the  rate  of  eighty  revolutions  per  minute.  This 
broke  the  force  of  the  billows  as  they  struck  her  astern. 
The  only  living  creatures  we  saw  in  the  waters  were  the 
impudent  little  sea  turtles;  the  only  denizens  of  the  air 
were  the  dauntless  gulls,  that  seemed  to  glory  in  the 
stormy  moods  of  Neptune.  To  realize  what  I  witnessed 
that  day,  it  must  be  seen. 

At  eight  p.  M.  we  were  treated  to  a  stereopticon  lecture 
by  Dr.  Clark,  of  Ohio.  The  topic  was,  'Tn  and  Around 
New  York  Citv." 


CHAPTER  III. 
From  New  York  to  Funchal. 

THE  next  day  dawned  bright  and  clear.  For  some 
time  after  breakfast  I  stood  at  the  bow  with  Rev. 
Samuel  Harris,  of  North  Dakota,  drinking  in  the  delicious 
atmosphere.  During  the  forenoon  I  had  my  first  games 
of  "shuffle  board"  and  "ship  ring."  The  game,  in  each 
case,  was  between  four  persons. 

The  captain  distributed  a  souvenir  hat-band  among  the 
cruisers  before  noon. 

A  souvenir  edition  of  the  "Manual  of  Worship,"  for 
use  in  the  convention  at  Jerusalem,  was  distributed  among 
the  members.  This  I  shall  always  keep,  in  memory  of 
the  cruise  to  the  Orient. 

At  three  p.  m.  we  had  a  "Dixie"  meeting,  at  which  time 
all  the  Southern  people  on  board  were  to  meet  and  get 
acquainted.  It  was  a  fine  time  that  we  had.  We  elected 
Judge  Martin,  ex-Moderator  of  the  Southern  Presby- 
terian General  Assembly,  our  chairman,  and  Miss  White, 
of  Memphis,  our  secretary.  By  12  m.  we  had  gained 
one  and  a  quarter  hours  from  New  York,  and  two  and  a 
quarter,  from  Taylor. 

The  temperature  throughout  the  day  was  much  milder 
than  the  day  before.  We  were  sailing  in  the  latitude  of 
Richmond,  Va.  Madeira  is  in  the  latitude  of  Savannah, 
Ga. 

Our  route  being  out  of  the  great  thoroughfare,  we  had 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.  2.7 

sighted  only  one  craft,  a  two-masted  schooner,  so  far. 
A  Desert  of  This  One  fact  impressed  us  with  the  vast- 
waters.  ncss  of  the  Atlantic.  Just  think  of  sailing 
for  more  than  a  thousand  miles  without  seeing  another 
vessel  of  any  kind! 

The  sun  went  down  with  a  magnificence  all  his  own — 
such  as  is  seen  only  on  the  mighty  deep.  I  never  saw  a 
more  beautiful  day.  "The  sea  is  his,  and  he  made  it," 
is  gloriously  true. 

After  supper  we  met  to  hear  some  "Hints  on  Travel." 
The  company  recited  in  unison  the  travellers'  Psalm,  the 
ninety-first.  Then  we  were  entertained  and  instructed 
with  talks  from  Dr.  Henry  Jessup,  Hon.  Herbert  Clark, 
Vice-Consul  to  Jerusalem,  and  others. 

When  I  went  to  my  stateroom  I  found  a  basket  of 
grapes  and  oranges,  sent  to  Mr.  Gongaware  by  a  New 
York  friend.  Of  these.  Brown,  Gongaware  and  I  did 
partake  to  our  satisfaction.  Poor  Blank  could  not  enjoy 
fruits,  for  he  was  too  busy  paying  his  devotions  to  Nep- 
tune! The  truth  is,  that  gentleman  did  not  come  to  his 
stateroom  to  sleep  at  night.  He  was  afraid  that  he  might 
not  be  able  to  again  raise  his  head  from  his  pillow.  Life 
was  no  pleasure  to  him  all  the  way  over. 

The  next  morning  the  weather  was  warm  and  the  sea 
like  glass.  Early  in  the  day  we  sighted  a  large  liner, 
about  ten  knots  to  the  north  of  us.  She  was  a  grand  ship, 
and,  by  the  aid  of  the  glasses,  we  made  out  that  she  be- 
longed to  the  Cunard  line. 

I  was  talking  with  Captain  Reimkasten  that  morning 

about  the  "watches"  on  the  vessel.     All  calculations  are 

from  noon  to  noon.    There  are  six  watches 

Ship-swatches,    j^^   ^y^^  tweuty-four  hours,   of   four  hours 

each.    Besides  this,  there  is  a  peculiar  feature  from  four 


28  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

■.■■■      " 

to  six  p.  M.,  known  as  the  "dog  watch,"  at  which  time 
the  watch  in  the  crow's  nest  is  doubled.  This  is  done 
in  order  that  a  shift  may  be  made,  and  the  same  set  of 
men  not  have  to  be  on  duty  at  the  same  hour  every  day. 

This  great  ship  has  a  fine  government,  everything  being 
carried  on  according  to  the  most  perfect  system.  It  is  a 
veritable  bee-hive. 

The  World's  Sunday-School  Executive  Committee  had 
to  pledge  $440,000  for  this  trip.  They  jointly  risked  their 
private  fortunes.  The  enterprise  has  proven  such  a  suc- 
cess that  they  will  lose  nothing. 

The  delegates  were  beginning  to  organize,  by  States 
and  divisions,  for  their  own  convenience.  The  Canada 
contingent  was  a  large  one.  Ohio's  delegation  numbered 
seventy-nine.  The  "cruise  chorus"  was  also  organized, 
and  we  had  a  good  time  practicing  some  of  the  songs  for 
the  convention  in  Jerusalem.  Every  day,  except  the 
Lord's  day,  we  met  at  2 130  to  practice.  This  was  a  great 
privilege  that  I  would  not  like  to  have  missed. 

The  rest  of  the  afternoon  I  spent  on  deck.  As  I  looked 
out  on  the  sea,  I  was  charmed  with  its  indescribable 
beauty,  and  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  its  vastness.  At 
nine  o'clock  we  had  an  informal  service  in  the  assembly- 
room. 

On  Sabbath  morning  the  orchestra  aroused  us  with  the 
music  of  "Jesus,  Lover  of  my  Soul,"  "Come,  ye  Discon- 
solate," and  several  other  hymns,  exquisitely  rendered. 
That  prepared  us  for  rising  to  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
goodness  to  us  all. 

At  10:30  divine  service  was  held.  After  appropriate 
hymns,  Scripture  reading,  and  prayer,  Dr.  John  Potts,  of 
Toronto,  preached  a  fine  sermon,  eminently  suitable  to 
the  occasion.    The  text  was  the  thirtieth  verse  of  the  one 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    29 

hundred  and  seventh  Psalm,  the  theme  being  "The  Voy- 
age of  Life."  The  discourse  closed  with  Tennyson's 
"Crossing  the  Bar."  There  were  two  other  services  at 
the  same  hour,  on  the  fore  and  aft  decks,  one  being  in 
German  to  the  crew. 

After  dinner  I  attended  the  great  Sundlay-school,  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Marion  Lawrence,  of  Toledo.  The  num- 
First  Sabbath       bcr  present  was  five  hundred  and  twenty- 

at  Sea.  two.  The  offering  was  for  the  International 

Sunday-school  work,  and  amounted  to  exactly  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  These  exercises  could  but  prove  a  great 
blessing,  both  for  that  day  and  the  future,  and  to  others 
as  well  as  to  ourselves. 

That  was  an  ideal  day  at  sea.  The  heavens  above,  and 
the  waters  upon  whose  bosom  we  were  being  rocked, 
were  bright  and  sweet  and  beautiful.  The  steady  breeze 
was  ahead,  and  the  Kurfuerst  was  sailing  "with  a  bone 
in  her  teeth." 

I  was  pleased  with  the  difference  between  this  and  the 
other  six  days  of  the  week.  The  purpose  of  the  cruise 
was  to  "remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy." 
There  were  those  on  board  who  had  not  been  out  of  their 
staterooms  since  we  left  Sandy  Hook.  For  these,  special 
prayer  was  offered  at  the  hours  of  public  worship.  Some 
of  those  unfortunate  people  were  not  able  to  be  up  till 
"terra  firma"  was  sighted,  on  the  other  side.  This  sight 
of  land  is  an  unfailing  cure  for, sea-sickness. 

Throughout  the  day  we  sailed  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  Sargasso  Sea.  The  sea-weed  was  much  in  evidence, 
but  did  not  interfere  with  our  speed.  At  8:45  evening 
worship  was  conducted  in  the  forward  dining-room.  It 
was  a  most  profitable  service^  and  ended  a  happy  day  on 
board. 


30  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Monday  morning,  at  the  bugler's  bewitching  call,  I  rose 
and  proceeded  to  the  deck  for  a  constitutional  before 
breakfast.  After  "morgenessen"  we  met  on  deck,  to  get 
a  picture  of  our  table,  the  "invincible  halfscore." 

After  the  practice  of  the  chorus,  in  the  afternoon,  I  met 
with  the  Illinois  and  Ohio  delegations,  to  study  the  coun- 
tries whither  we  were  bound.  Up  to  noon  we  had  sailed 
2,052  knots,  and  were  in  latitude  34°  35',  and  longitude 
31°  11'.  We  had  gained  three  hours  and  forty-five 
minutes,  so  that  at  twelve  noon  there,  it  would  be  8:15 
at  home. 

We  were  constantly  making  a  little  over  fifteen  knots 

per  hour,  and  everything  was  going  well.    At  8 :45  p.  m. 

we  assembled  to  hear  a  lecture  by  Dr.  Jessup  on  the 

Mohammedan  religion.     That  was  most  instructive  and 

interesting.     Mohammed,    the    founder   of 

Moslem  Creed.  ,  .  ,  •»  t  •        i 

this  system,  was  born  at  Mecca  in  the  year 
570.  He  is  the  author  of  the  Koran,  which  is  the  Bible 
of  the  Mohammedan.  This  he  claimed  to  have  received 
by  revelation  from  God.  The  following  are  the  five  points 
of  its  ritual : 

1.  The  testimony:  "There  is  no  God  but  God,  and  Mo- 
hammed is  his  apostle." 

2.  Almsgiving. 

3.  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  once  in  a  life-time. 

4.  One  full  day's  fast  each  year. 

5.  Prayer,  five  times  a  day. 

When  a  Mohammedan  has  conformed  to  these  require- 
ments, he  may  commit  any  sin  and  yet  be  saved.  They 
have  a  saying  to  the  effect  that  if  a  man  has  gone  to 
Mecca  once,  he  is  all  perfect;  if  twice,  watch  him;  if 
thrice,  watch  him  with  great  care;  if  four  times,  have 
nothing  to  do  with  him,  for  he  is  so  holy  that  he  is  dan- 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    31 

gerous.  The  idea  is  that  the  pilgrimages  confer  licences 
to  commit  any  sin  known  to  the  decalogue.  From  the 
Mohammedan's  dress,  one  who  is  versed  in  their  religious 
practices  can  tell  whether  he  has  ever  been  to  Mecca, 
and  if  so,  how  many  times. 

There  are  two  hundred  million  Moslems  in  the  world. 
Turkey  and  Morocco  are  the  only  countries  where  they 
now  dare  to  persecute  "infidels,"  as  they  style  all  who  are 
not  followers  of  Mohammed. 

On.  Tuesday,  the  15th,  I  rose  early  to  see  the  sun  rise. 
As  we  were  to  arrive  at  Madeira  the  following  day,  every- 
body on  board  was  busy  writing  letters  home,  to  be  mailed 
at  Funchal. 

After  supper  we  met  to  hear  a  lecture  on  Madeira  by 
Dr.  John  R.  Brown.  Also,  addresses  were  made  by  Dr. 
Jessup,  Rev.  W.  Scott  Whittier  and  Mr.  Warren,  chair- 
man of  the  World's  Committee.  From  the  conference 
we  gathered  many  important  facts. 

The  island  is  of  volcanic  origin,  belongs  to  Portugal, 
and  the  people  speak  the  Portuguese  language.  Madeira 
Island  is  fifteen,  by  thirty  miles  in  area,  and  has  a  popu- 
lation of  more  than  one  hundred  thousand. 

The  majority  of  those  professing  to  be  Christians  are 
Romanists. 

There  are  two  Protestant  missions  in  Madeira.  The 
Scotch  Presbyterian,  which  is  the  older,  was  founded  by 
Missions  in  Dr.  Kallcy  in  1837.    ^^-  Kalley  was  not  a 

Madeira.  minister,  but  a  physician.  He  went  thither 
for  his  health,  and  remained  to  break  the  bread  of  life  to 
the  inhabitants.  The  result  of  the  efforts  of  that  con- 
secrated physician  was  the  conversion  of  a  thousand  Por- 
tuguese to  Protestantism.  In  1846  persecution  arose,  and 
drove  from  the  island  all  the  Protestants.    A  part  of  these 


32  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

fled  to  the  island  of  Trinidad.  Of  these  Mr.  Whittier  is 
pastor.  The  rest  went  to  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  where 
they  have  a  Portuguese  minister,  and  have  their  services 
in  their  mother  tongue.  For  a  period  of  about  ten  years 
there  was  practically  no  Protestant  witness  in  Madeira. 
But  the  mission  has  been  re-established,  and  is  doing  a 
noble  work  among  the  people.  The  other  mission  was 
founded  by  the  Methodist  Church  of  the  U.  S.  A.  They 
have  two  ministers,  and  are  also  doing  efficient  service  for 
the  Master. 

About  8 :30  Wednesday  morning  land  was  sighted.  As 
we  approached,  the  island  presented  a  magnificent  appear- 
ance.   The  northern  end  rises  abruptly  out 

Terra  Firma.  .     ,  _,,  ,.  .         , 

of  the  sea.  Ihe  coast  hne  is  almost  per- 
pendicular, and  stands  several  hundred  feet  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  When  we  first  sighted  the  land,  mist 
enveloped  the  island,  but  as  the  morning  advanced  the 
mist  gathered  and  formed  glorious  clouds.  These  clouds 
cast  most  beautiful  shadows  over  the  mountains,  and 
added  much  to  the  splendor  of  Ithe  landscape.  The 
shadows  were  so  well  defined  that  the  variety  was  unend- 
ing, and  most  pleasing  to  the  voyagers.  The  clouds  that 
capped  the  summits  of  the  mountains  immensely  enhanced 
the  glory  of  the  pictures  as  they  came  and  went. 

As  we  sailed  along  some  distance  from  the  southwest 
coast,  the  most  rugged  ridges  and  peaks  rose  up  before 
The  Fairy         US.     The  cafions  and  gorges  were  grand. 
Island.  In  many  places  the  island  seemed  to  be  cleft 

asunder.  Ridge  after  ridge,  and  peak  after  peak,  lifted 
themselves  and  towered  in  the  panorama.  The  highest 
point  on  the  island  is  more  than  six  thousand  feet  above 
sea  level.  We  saw  some  of  the  most  exquisite  waterfalls. 
The  first  of  those  was  several  hundred  feet  in  height. 
Then  another,  with  three  successive  cascades. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  FUNCHAL.    33 

About  ten  o'clock,  I  discerned  something  that  looked 
to  me  like  the  spray  of  the  sea  upon  a  rock-bound  coast. 
This  I  found,  in  due  time,  to  be  a  village  at  the  mouth 
of  a  canon  at  the  seaside.  Also,  I  discovered  a  group  of 
objects  that  showed  so  white  and  so  small  that  I  thought 
they  were  a  herd  of  white  goats  or  cows.  Soon  they 
revealed  themselves  as  a  town  composed  of  white 
houses. 

From  that  on  to  Funchal  the  views  became  more  and 
more  distinct.  We  found  that  the  country  near  the 
water's  edge  was  very  generally  settled.  We  noticed  that 
a  large  part  of  the  surface  was  without  trees.  This  area 
was  covered  with  grass,  whose  green  could  be  discerned 
for  miles  out  at  sea.  The  timber  growth  consisted  of  the 
cedar  and  pine,  for  the  most  part.  As  we  passed  down 
toward  the  southern  side  of  the  island,  we  could  see  corn, 
millet,  and  sugar-cane  growing.  There  most  of  the  fruits, 
tropical  and  sub-tropical,  abound.  In  March,  straw- 
berries, beans,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  pumpkins,  toma- 
toes and  squashes  were  plentiful  in  the  gardens  and  on 
the  market. 

At  exactly  twelve  noon,  we  dropped  anchor  in  the 
beautiful  harbor. 

Thus,  an  eight-days'  sail  was  completed  on  time,  to  the 
minute. 

This  passage  across  the  Atlantic  was  a  remarkable  one 
for  several  reasons :  the  exceptionally  fine  weather,  the 
steady  sail  of  this  gallant  ship,  the  courteous,  efficient 
service  of  the  capable  crew,  from  the  captain  to  the  stoker 
in  the  terrific  heat  below;  the  peculiarly  delightful  com- 
pany on  board,  and  the  ^specially  gracious  kindness  of 
God,  who  made  the  sea,  and  holds  its  waters  in  the  hollow 
of  his  hand. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Madeira. 

SHALL  never  forget  the  impression  made  upon  me 
by  my  first  vision  of  the  city  of  Funchal,  the  unique 
capital  of  Madeira.  The  white  and  yellow  houses,  with 
their  red  and  terra-cotta  roofs,  the  old  forts,  the  churches, 
the  system  of  terraces,  the  sea-v/all,  the  wharves,  the  gar- 
dens and  the  crooked  streets,  together  made  a  picture  of 
unusual  beauty.  The  half-clad  natives,  surrounding  the 
Grosser  Ktirfiierst  with  their  fleet  of  a  hundred  rowboats, 
and  calling  to  the  voyagers  to  throw  pieces  of  silver  into 
the  clear  waters  below,  that  they  might  dive  from  their 
boats  and  bring  up  the  coins  before  they  reached  the  bot- 
tom, presented  another  picture,  in  vivid  contrast  with  the 
first.  One  boy  made  a  high  dive  from  the  bridge  deck, 
a  distance  of  fifty  feet,  for  fifty  cents  of  American  money. 

No  one  had  an  appetite  for  lunch,  for  the  tenders  were 
in  waiting  to  carry  us  ashore.  When  landed  on  the  stone 
wharf,  I  felt  as  if  it  were  rocking  and  swaying  under 
my  feet,  and  so  it  seemed  for  hours.  I  could  hardly 
become  relieved  of  the  impression  that  I  was  on  board 
the  ship. 

The  first  strange  sight  was  the  "carro,"  or  ox-carriage. 
There  was  a  row  of  them,  possibly  fifty,  lined  up  as  our 
In  Madera's          Carriages  and  omnibuses  are  at  the  railway 

Capital.  stations.     These  are  peculiar  to  this  island. 

They  have  two  runners,  as  in  the  ordinary  sled,  only  well 
finished,  and  turning  up  at  each  end.  The  top  is  a  canopy, 
closed  at  each  end  and  open  at  the  sides.    There  are  two 


MADEIRA.  35 

seats,  facing  each  other,  and  holding  two  persons  each. 
The  appearance  is  much  that  of  the  ancient  vehicle  known 
in  America  as  the  "carryall."  It  is  a  little  more  quaint 
than  the  antiquated  "caleche"  that  we  saw  in  the  city  of 
Quebec,  and  at  Murray  Bay,  far  down  the  St.  Lawrence, 
toward  the  mouth  of  the  Saguenay  River.  To  this  carro, 
whose  runners  are  "armed"  with  a  plate  of  steel,  are 
hitched  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  tongue  to  which  the  yoke 
is  attached  is  a  huge  pole,  such  as  is  seen  in  the  ordinary 
ox-cart  in  the  West.  Each  pair  of  oxen  wears  two  little 
bells. 

The  streets  and  pavements  are  beautifully  paved  with 
small  water-worn  stones,  taken  from  the  beach.  Much 
skill  has  been  displayed  in  the  construction  of  these  high- 
ways. The  stones  are  placed  upon  their  ends,  and  driven 
so  close  together  that  no  cracks  or  chinks  are  left.  Great 
pains  have  been  taken  to  place  these  stones  artistically. 
The  prevailing  color  is  very  dark  brown,  and  with  this 
as  a  back-ground,  the  ornamentation  is  done  by  means  of 
white  stones,  some  of  which  are  no  larger  than  marbles 
on  the  exposed  ends.  They  make  with  these,  numbers, 
letters,  and  figures  of  diamond,  rectangular  and  triangular 
shapes.  The  names  of  public  buildings,  places  of  business 
and  private  residents  are  inlaid  in  this  unique  way.  A 
striking  example  of  this  art  is  the  map  of  Africa,  outlined 
in  one  of  the  thoroughfares.  The  whole  system  of  paving 
is  a  mosaic  in  pebbles. 

Greater  Funchal  is  a  city  of  thirty-six  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. The  city  was  founded  four  hundred  and  sixty-four 
years  ago.  It  has  hundreds  of  miles  of  stone  walls ;  for 
all  the  residences  and  gardens  are  terraced.  Some  of 
these  walls  are  twenty,  thirty,  fifty — up  to  five  hundred 
feet,  in  height.  Streets  wind  like  serpents'  paths.  They 
are  very  steep  in  places.     On  these  steep  inclines  the 


36  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

paving  is  done  in  transverse  parallel  ridges.  This  feature 
supplies  the  place  of  necessary  steps. 

The  public  and  private  gardens  are  a  splendid  dream. 
The  palm,  sycamore,  colossal  ferns,  firs,  pines,  cedars, 
mesquite,  acacia,  wisteria,  boganvilia,  rhododendron,  ger- 
anium, pandanus,  oak,  orange,  banana — ^all  are  a  perfect 
delight  to  the  visitor. 

There  is  a  great  variety  of  climate  on  the  island.  While 
much  snow  falls  on  the  mountains,  in  Funchal  the  tem- 
perature rarely  falls  below  sixty  degrees.  The  fact  that 
there  is  only  ten  degrees  difference  between  the  average 
temperatures  of  winter  and  summer,  shows  how  equable 
the  climate  of  Madeira's  capital  is. 

The  delegates  met  at  4  p.  m.  in  the  Grand  Theatre. 
The  Right  Hon.  J.  A.  Dixon,  of  Ireland,  Consul  from 
Great  Britain  to  Madeira,  an  ex-member  of  Parliament, 
Great  Cruise         was  Called  to  the  cliair,  and  presided  with 

Service.  great  dignity.    Addresses  of  welcome  were 

made  by  the  chairman  and  representatives  of  the  two 
Protestant  missions  in  Funchal.  Responses  were  given 
by  Dr.  Potts,  Messrs.  Warren,  Hartshorn,  Lawrence,  and 
others.  The  soul-stirring  hymns,  "In  the  Cross  of  Christ 
I  Glory,"  and  "Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,"  were  rendered 
by  the  great  throng.  At  the  same  hour  another  meeting 
was  held  in  one  of  the  public  gardens.  The  municipal 
authorities  granted  the  use  of  these  public  places  free  of 
charge.  The  Portuguese  were  not  permitted  to  attend 
the  exercises,  the  services  being  ostensibly  for  the  for- 
eigners. At  the  door  of  the  theatre  an  offering  worthy 
of  the  assembly  was  put  on  the  plates  for  non-sectarian 
charities. 

We  visited  the  old  fort,  built  in  1641,  which  is  now 
used  for  signal  service  only.  From  the  citadel  we  had 
a  fine  view  of  the  harbor.    On  the  top  of  this  stone  mass 


MADEIRA.  37 

we  drank  delicious  cold  water  from  a  cistern  supplied 
by  the  springs  in  the  mountains. 

Then  we  crossed  the  rivers  San  Juan  and  Santa  Lozia, 
running-  like  cataracts  through  the  city.  These  are  from 
thirty  to  sixty  feet  below  the  streets,  and  their  banks  are 
walled  with  stone.  The  waters  are  not  deep,  but  cause  a 
mighty  roaring  as  they  fall  toward  the  sea. 

The  Portuguese  women  and  children,  down  on  the 
rocks  washing  their  clothes,  presented  a  very  picturesque 
appearance.  They  use  the  smooth  rocks  as  washboards, 
and  spread  the  garments  on  the  rocks  to  dry.  Every  day 
is  wash-day  in  Funchal. 

So  far  as  the  streets  are  concerned,  Funchal  is  the 
cleanest  city  I  ever  saw;  for,  on  account  of  the  steep 
grade  of  the  streets,  they  are  washed  clean  whenever  a 
great  rain  falls. 

One  of  the  most  delightful  places  in  the  city  is  the 
private  garden  of  an  English  gentleman.  We  were  given 
the  freedom  of  the  grounds,  and  enjoyed  the  privilege  to 
the  fullest  extent.  I  was  attracted  by  the  fuchsias,  be- 
gonias, bamboos,  and  a  species  of  tree  with  green  bark, 
and  roots  that  grow  three  or  four  feet  above  ground,  and 
serve  as  braces  to  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  The  stem  does 
not  reach  the  ground,  but  is  met  and  supported  by  the 
roots,  as  intimated.  There  we  saw  many  magnificent 
varieties  of  palm,  among  which  was  the  date.  The  man- 
ner in  which  we  were  thanked  for  our  visit  was  re- 
freshing. 

Later  on  we  took  the  horse  tram-car  to  the  station  of 
the  elevated  railway,  which  carries  you  two  miles  up  the 
mountain.  The  ascent  is  very  steep.  On  both  sides  of 
the  road  there  is  a  succession  of  terraces,  upon  which  the 
inhabitants  have  their  houses  and  gardens.  These  gar- 
dens  are  irrigated  by  the  abundant  waters  that  rush  down 


38  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

from  the  high  mountains.  At  frequent  intervals  there 
are  cement  tanks,  which  receive  and  distribute  the  water 
through  a  system  of  pipes,  for  all  purposes.  We  have  a 
fine  illustration  of  intensive  gardening  on  these  terraces. 
While  they  do  not  have  the  "hanging,"  they  do  have  the 
"two-story"  gardens  to  perfection.  The  grape  arbors, 
made  of  bamboo,  are  erected  above  the  vegetable  and 
sugar-cane  plots. 

Out  of  the  crevices  of  the  rocks  and  walls,  without  even 
having  been  planted  or  cultivated,  grow  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  calla  lilies,  geraniums  and  nasturtiums.  By  ac- 
tual measurement,  I  found  one  of  these  callas  to  be  six 
inches,  shortest  diameter,  eight  inches  in  length  and 
twenty-six  inches  around  the  cup.  Here  the  magnificence 
of  the  boganvilia  captivates  you.  It  is  a  reddish,  purple 
flower,  with  three  petals,  and  resembles  the  calix  of  the 
ground-cherry,  of  the  Carolinas.  It  climbs  for  many  rods 
on  the  sides  of  houses,  on  the  rock  walls,  and  over  the 
trees,  much  as  the  wisteria,  and  in  as  great  profusion. 
Nothing  could  be  more  beautiful.  It  is  the  first  and  last 
flower  that  you  see  in  approaching  and  leaving  the  city. 

In  ascending  the  mountain,  the  native  children  run 
along  each  side  of  the  track  on  the  rock  walls,  throwing 
the  most  gorgeous  roses,  lilies,  japonicas  and  geraniums 
in  upon  the  passengers,  hoping  to  receive  pennies  for  their 
attentions.  The  same  experience  you  meet  in  the  tram- 
cars,  carros,  and  even  in  walking  on  the  streets — every- 
where. They  will  come  to  you  and  put  flowers  into  your 
pockets,  your  buttonholes  and  your  hands,  until  you  grow 
weary  of  their  lavish  kindness. 

After  leaving  the  railway,  at  the  terminus  on  the  moun- 
tain, we  walked  up  to  the  Convent  Church,  with  its  two 
stately  towers,  an  old  structure  of  other  days.  From  the 
gallery  above  we  had  a  glorious  view  of  the  harbor,  the 


MADEIRA.  39 

city  and  the  mountains  to  the  northwest  and  southeast. 
Then    we    descended   by   the   carros    de   monte,    or   to- 
boggan cars.     These  are  made  of  wicker  work,  are  on 
wood  runners,  are  seated  and  upholstered 

Rapid  Transit  r         ,-,  1    .•  r    j.  j 

for  the  accommodation  of  two,  and  some- 
times three,  passengers.  The  cars  are  so  Hght  that  they 
are  carried  up  the  slide  upon  the  shoulders  of  one  man. 
It  takes  two  hours  to  make  the  ascent,  and  ten  minutes 
the  descent.  It  is  an  exhilarating  experience,  and  one  not 
likely  to  be  repeated  by  tourists.  The  slide  is  very  steep 
and  the  rate  of  speed  very  great.  Each  car  is  manned 
by  two  Portuguese.  They  hold  in  their  hands  ropes, 
with  which  they  guide  the  course  and  regulate  the  speed 
of  the  car.  The  men  run  and  ride  behind.  The  slide  is 
paved  in  transverse  ridges. 

I  never  saw  anything  more  perfect  than  this  track.  It 
is  a  fine  piece  of  engineering,  and  the  surface  is  as  smooth 
as  glass.  There  are  high  walls  on  each  side  of  the  road, 
and  at  intervals  there  are  wine  shops,  at  which  the  at- 
tendants are  accommodating  enough  to  stop  for  your 
refreshment  and  theirs. 

The  celebrated  Madeira  wine  is  to  be  had  everywhere. 
At  the  foot  of  the  slide,  which  is  over  two  miles  in  length, 
we  took  the  tram-car  for  the  "Afrika  Haus,"  where  we 
had  an  elegant  supper. 

After  a  visit  to  the  public  gardens,  we  passed  through 
the  city  toward  the  wharf,  where  we  took  a  tender  for  our 
good  ship. 

Friday  morning,  wishing  to  see  something  of  the  life 
and  occupation  of  the  humbler  natives,  we  made  our  way 
beyond  the  city  limits. 

Everywhere  we  were  greeted  with  flowers,  fruits,  and 
vegetable  gardens.  One  peculiarity  of  most  of  the  fruit 
trees  was  that  while  the  trees  were  in  full  blossom,  they 


40  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

were  laden  with  half-grown,  and  in  some  instances  ripen- 
ing fruit. 

One  of  the  surprises  of  that  outing  was  the  pottery, 
which  we  stumbled  upon.  Hereafter  the  Scripture  pas- 
sage, "As  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter,"  will  have  a 
different  meaning  for  me.  How  wonderful  is  the  skill 
of  the  artist,  as  he  takes  the  lump  of  clay,  and  upon  the 
lathe  fashion  the  vases,  pots,  basins,  figures,  and  such 
like,  as  he  will ! 

I  saw  no  wooden  houses.  They  are  all  made  of  stone, 
and  plastered  on  the  outside.  The  well-to-do  have  tiled 
roofs;  the  poor,  thatched. 

The  lower  classes  are  all  beggars,  from  the  little  child 
to  the  old  man  and  woman.  Thousands  of  hands  held 
out  with  the  request,  "A  penny,  please,"  made  an  inter- 
esting, and  yet  painful,  picture. 

The  people  are  universally  polite,  as  are  all  nations 
speaking  the  Romance  languages. 

The  method  of  the  dairyman  is  ingenious.  The  milk 
wagons  are  of  the  most  perfect  type.  The  milk  never 
How  the  People    spills,  uor  docs  it  cvcr  grow  stale.    The  man 

L'v«-  and  woman  go  together,  and  drive  the  Jer- 

sey goats  from  door  to  door,  and  sell  the  product  accord- 
ing to  the  order  of  the  customer.  The  dairymen  are  so 
accommodating  that  they  will  even  drive  the  "wagons" 
upstairs,  when  the  people  live  in  the  second  story.  This 
I  saw  with  my  own  eyes.  It  is  the  funniest  sight — these 
dark  brown  goats  scampering  up  and  down  stairs  as  if 
they  were  enjoying  a  holiday  on  the  rock  ledges. 

I  was  surprised  to  find  there  the  mule.  This  animal 
is  the  burden-bearer.  He  carries  water,  gravel,  wood, 
rock,  vegetables,  sugar-cane,  groceries,  wine — every- 
thing.   The  peripatetic  grocer  is  the  man  with  the  mule 


MADEIRA.  41 

or  burro,  who  takes  around  to  his  customers  whatever 
they  may  need  in  his  Hne. 

At  about  12:15  we  took  our  final  leave  of  the  city  for 
the  boat. 

After  watching  my  fellow-passengers  come  aboard,  my 
attention  was  attracted  to  the  wide-open  bazaar  on  deck, 
where  the  Portuguese  were  displaying  the  products  of 
their  handiwork.  The  inlaid  work,  willow  baskets,  wicker 
chairs,  the  pottery  and  drawn  work,  were  a  sight  well 
worth  looking  at. 

The  old  fort,  standing  out  in  the  water,  is  finely  pic- 
turesque. The  cylindrical  tower  of  the  signal  station 
could  certainly  not  be  duplicated  anywhere. 

The  uniform  of  police  and  soldiers  was  seen  every- 
where on  board  and  on  the  fleet  of  small  boats  about  the 
ship.  The  navy  blue  cap  and  overcoat,  the  gray  panta- 
loons (much  like  the  Confederate  gray),  tucked  into  boots 
reaching  to  the  knees,  the  red  stripe  down  the  legs  and 
around  the  collar  and  cap,  and  the  belt,  with  the  scabbard 
sheathing  the  machete,  the  bright  buttons  on  the  short 
coat — this  constitutes  the  equipment  of  the  soldier  of 
Madeira. 

The  order  of  the  Franciscan  monks  is  conspicuous  here. 
The  full-fledged  monk  wears  a  broad,  black  hat,  a  long 
black  frock,  reaching  to  the  ankles,  scarlet  socks  and 
black  slippers.  The  "Novitiate,"  with  his  Prince  Albert 
coat  and  his  thin  black  shawl  thrown  over  his  left  shoul- 
der, going  usually  with  books  in  his  hand,  and  always 
with  his  head  bared,  calls  attention  to  the  power  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Funchal. 

At  three  o'clock  we  "weighed  anchor,"  and  were  under 
way  promptly.  The  taking  up  of  the  anchor  is  a  great 
enterprise.  The  great  weight,  the  ponderous  chain,  the 
depth  of  water,  twenty  fathoms,  all  add  to  the  interest. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Gibraltar. 

WE  waved  "adios"  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  island, 
and  our  ship,  bearing  on  her  side  a  long  label, 
"Jerusalem,"  printed  in  large  letters,  flying  the  German 
colors,  and  the  flag  with  the  cross  and  the  words,  "In  this 
sign  we  conquer,"  signalled  "auf  iviedcrsehen,"  and  we 
were  off. 

As  we  sailed  around  the  point,  other  beauties  of  Ma- 
deira were  revealed  to  us.  To  the  south  of  us  were  the 
"Desertas,"  a  trio  of  rock-bound  islands.  These  are  unin- 
habited, being  chiefly  valuable  as  pasture  lands  and  hunt- 
mg  grounds.  This  is  the  home  of  the  rabbit.  The 
Desertas  stand  out  hundreds  of  feet  perpendicularly  from 
the  water's  edge. 

The  greatest  wonder  to  me  was  the  tall  sentinel  rock, 
standing  out  several  rods  from  the  nearest  of  the  trio. 
It  must  be  one  thousand  feet  high,  and  is  so  S3a'nmetrical 
that  it  took  a  long  time,  with  aid  of  glasses,  to  decide 
that  it  was  not  a  lighthouse. 

There  is  only  one  lighthouse  on  the  group,  and  that  is 
on  the  most  southeasterly  promontory  of  Madeira.  Here 
there  is  a  signal  station. 

But  another  wonder  soon  came  into  view.  Behind  the 
point  displaying  the  lighthouse  there  is  a  great  colossus, 
standing  upon  two  giant  feet.  The  opening  must  be  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  thus 
affording  a  passageway  large  enough  to  allow  the  largest 


GIBRALTAR.  43 

of  modern  steamers  to  pass  through.  I  never  expected 
to  see  such  a  sight  in  this  world. 

From  this  we  passed  to  the  last  of  the  sisterhood, 
"Porto  Santo."  This  is  an  inhabited  island.  There  Co- 
Home  of  lumbus  lived.    He  met  his  wife  on  Madeira. 

Columbus.  This  island  is  much  like  Madeira,  though 
not  so  rugged.  The  last  points  of  land  passed  were  two 
sentinels  that  stand  out  some  distance  from  Porto  Santo, 
keeping  guard  over  the  most  easterly  of  the  Madeira 
group. 

Madeira  lies  two  hundred  and  forty  knots  from  Tene- 
riff e,  on  the  Canary  Islands;  three  hundred  and  sixty, 
from  the  coast  of  Africa ;  four  hundred  and  eighty,  from 
the  Azores. 

Dr.  Jessup  addressed  us,  after  supper,  on  the  subject 
of  "The  Position  of  Woman  in  Mohammedan  Countries." 
Women  in  It  was  a  great  privilege  to  listen  to  one  so 

Moslem  Lands,  well  qualified  to  Speak  on  a  topic  of  so  much 
interest.  There  are  more  than  one  hundred  million  of 
Mohammedan  women  and  girls.  There  is  a  proverb  that 
"The  threshold  weeps  when  a  girl  is  born;  but  when  a 
boy  is  born  there  is  rejoicing."  For  thirty  days  after  the 
birth  of  a  daughter  there  is  weeping  and  wailing;  but 
when  a  son  is  born,  the  happy  family  exchanges  presents 
and  sends  a  favorite  dish  to  the  neighbors  and  friends. 
Since  Mohammed's  day  no  woman  has  shown  her  face 
on  the  street.  A  man  never  sees  the  face  of  his  bride 
till  after  the  ceremony  has  been  performed.  The  women 
are  wholly  uneducated. 

According  to  the  Koran,  every  man  may  legally  marry 
five  wives,  and  have  as  many  concubines  as  he  can  buy  or 
his  hand  can  take  in  war.  The  poor,  who  live  in  the  coun- 
try, rarely  have  more  than  one  wife,  while  the  rich  in  cities 


44  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

may,  and  do,  stock  their  harems.  With  this  polygamous 
Hfe  there  comes  continual  unhappiness  into  the  home. 
The  Moslem  may  scourge  his  wife,  even  unto  death,  and 
no  one  can  hinder  him.  He  can  divorce  his  wife  by  telling 
her,  "There  is  the  door."  She  then  is  helpless.  She  leaves 
her  children  behind.  "What  a  Moslem  does  in  his  harem 
is  nobody's  business."  But  the  dawn  cometh.  Two 
epoch-making  books  have  been  written  in  Arabic  by  a 
Moslem,  wherein  he  advocates  four  distinct  points:  the 
education  of  woman,  the  abolishment  of  the  veil,  the  plac- 
ing of  woman  on  equal  footing  with  man,  the  wiping  out 
of  polygamy. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  this  is  the  opening  of  the  door 
to  the  bringing  in  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  into  the  lives 
of  the  Mohammedan  world. 

On  the  following  morning  the  sea  was  a  little  boister- 
ous, consequently  a  good  many  people  were  "not  feeling 
like  coming  to  the  table."  That  day  nobody  was  able 
to  walk  straight,  which  looked  a  little  suspicious  after  a 
visit  to  Madeira,  but  it  was  even  so. 

At  lunch  the  places  of  many  more  were  vacant,  and 
everything  was  "coming  up"  to  their  expectations ! 

Up  to  12  M.  we  had  sailed  three  thousand  and  sixty- 
eight  knots  from  Sandy  Hook,  and  had  gained  in  time 
five  hours  and  a  quarter  from  Taylor.  The  captain's  re- 
ception, appointed  for  the  afternoon,  was  "indefinitely 
postponed,"  on  account  of  the  "inability"  of  a  great  many 
of  the  invited  guests  to  attend. 

At  night  we  listened  to  a  lecture  on  "Gibraltar"  by  Rev. 
Junius  Millard,  of  Baltimore.  He  treated  the  subject  geo- 
logically, geographically  and  historically.  The  address 
was  well  prepared,  and  of  special  benefit,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  we  were  expecting  so  soon  to  look  upon  the 
world's  most  formidable  fortress. 


GIBRALTAR.  45 

A  little  after  daylight  next  morning,  I  rose  for  the  pur- 
pose of  seeing  the  two  continents,  as  we  sailed  between 
them,  through  the  straits  of  Gibraltar. 

;I  confess  to  a  sense  of  oppression  at  the  thought  of 
looking  upon  the  two  ancient  countries,  as  I  stood  upon 
Between  Two       the  forward  dcck  of  this  great  cruiser.    On 

Continents,  quy  left  was  Spain,  Hispania  of  the  Ro- 
mans, Cadiz,  Trafalgar,  Tarifa  and  Algeciras.  Here  the 
rugged  mountains  rose  majestically  from  the  waters  on 
the  southeast.  Some  of  the  mountains  showed  a  face  of 
bare  rock,  but  the  beautiful  ridges  that  lay  at  right  angles 
to  the  coast  presented  a  carpet  of  indescribable  green  in 
the  spreading  grass. 

On  the  African  side  the  mountains  were  equally  evi- 
dent, the  highest  along  the  strait  being  one  of  the  Pillars 
of  Hercules,  directly  opposite  Gibraltar,  the  other  Pillar. 
This  mountain  rises  abruptly  and  precipitously  from  the 
sea.  We  passed  Tangier,  Morocco,  a  city  of  fifteen  thou- 
sand inhabitants. 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  two  whales,  "spouting," 
before  breakfast.  The  popular  notion  that  the  whale 
sends  out  two  streams  of  water  from  his  nostrils  is  an 
error.  In  fact,  he  converts  the  water  into  spray  by  ex- 
pelling the  air  from  his  lungs,  when  he  comes  to  the  sur- 
face for  a  breath  of  fresh  air.  Whales,  being  mammals, 
cannot  live  without  breathing.  The  volume  of  spray  is 
several  feet  in  height.  About  the  same  time  we  saw  sev- 
eral schools  of  porpoises,  some  of  which  had  a  splendid 
frolic  in  running  a  race  with  us,  under  the  prow  of  the 
ship. 

As  we  were  approaching  Gibraltar,  we  could  see  the 
"Leon  Couchant,"  the  reclining  lion,  peacefully  gnawing 
a  bone,  while  he  looked  suggestively  toward  Spain. 


46  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

At  8  A.  M.  we  cast  anchor,  and  were  landing  promptly 
by  9  o'clock. 

In  the  harbor  were  anchored  one  German,  and  nine 
British  men-of-war,  besides  several  torpedo  boats  and 
torpedo  boat  destroyers.  There  also  lay  Koenig  Albert, 
the  German  Emperor's  ship. 

Gibraltar  belongs  to  the  English,  and  is  the  greatest 
stronghold  in  the  world.  "Impregnable"  is  the  only  term 
that  will  describe  the  great  rock. 

On  landing  we  were  met  by  guides,  with  United  States 
flags  upon  the  lapels  of  their  coats.  They  carried  us 
through  Main  street,  by  the  post-office,  thence  through 
"Castle  Gate,"  just  inside  of  which  we  had  to  register. 
Forty-five  in  a  company  were  allowed  to  go  beyond  this 
point.  We  then  went  up  to  the  fortifications  through  two 
dark  tunnels,  out  from  which  were  many  port-holes  open- 
ing, each  aperture  being  armed  with  a  terrific  cannon.  It 
did  not  look  hospitable. 

Through  another  tunnel  we  passed  to  the  old  Moorish 
castle,  erected  three  hundred  years  ago,  but  now  used  as 
a  civil  prison.  From  this  place  we  returned  through  Cas- 
tle Gate,  and  went  down  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
Thence  we  continued  our  tramp,  through  ascending 
streets,  toward  the  south.  From  points  all  along  this 
walk  we  had  glorious  views  of  the  harbor  and  the  Spanish 
and  Morocco  coasts.  We  passed  along  the  road,  where 
the  dizzy  heights  and  fearful  depths  divided  our  attention 
and  admiration. 

Everywhere  the  wild  verbena,  heliotrope,  oxalis,  dan- 
delion and  daisies  were  to  be  seen.  We  had  a  delightful 
visit  to  the  public  gardens.  There  many  of  the  fruits  and 
flowers  were  like  those  seen  in  the  fairy  island  of  Ma- 
deira, save  that  the  latter  place  is  more  tropical. 


GIBRALTAR.  47 

The  climate  of  Gibraltar  is  delightful  the  year  round. 
It  never  snows  in  Gibraltar,  though  the  summit  of  the 
rock  is  over  fourteen  hundred  feet. 

The  largest  tree  in  the  city  is  an  English  walnut. 

When  we  reached  this  point  we  were  informed  that 

Kaiser  Wilhelm  IL,  of  Germany,  was  to  pass  by,  as  the 

royal  guest  of  Gibraltar.    So  we  halted,  and 

Der  Kaiser.  111  1  ,    •    • 

were  soon  rewarded  by  obtammg  a  near 
view  of  his  Majesty,  In  a  victoria,  with  Admiral  Beres- 
ford,  the  Governor,  and  the  Mayor,  the  son  of  "Unser 
Fritz"  drove  by.  He  was  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  an 
admiral.  I  was  much  pleased  with  the  strength  and  kind- 
liness of  the  Kaiser's  face.  He  impressed  me  as  being  a 
courteous  and  affable  gentleman.  He  lifted  his  white  cap 
to  me,  and  I,  my  black  derby  to  him.  Thus,  two  great 
representatives  of  two  great  nations  met,  recognized  each 
other  with  an  exchange  of  greetings,  and  passed ! 

With  three  of  my  comrades,  I  took  a  victoria,  made  on 
the  island  of  Malta,  and  drove  to  Europa  Point,  the  most 
southerly  point  in  Europe.  This  was  a  royal  drive.  We 
passed  the  English  and  American  churches,  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  the  exchange,  the  American  Consulate, 
the  barracks,  the  officers'  quarters,  the  Soldiers'  and  Sail- 
or's Institute,  the  school-house,  the  light-house  and  the 
battery  on  the  point. 

We  left  the  carriage  for  an  excursion  up  the  side  of 
the  mountain  to  a  cave,  which  Teel  and  I  proceeded  to 
explore.  There  we  had  a  good  example  of  the  limestone 
cave.  The  one  we  entered  had  two  chambers  and  a  small 
lake.  Thence  we  went  around  the  eastern  side  of  the 
rock,  where  we  could  see  up  under  the  face  of  the  great 
fortress.  This  view  was  a  sublime  one.  The  outlook 
over  the  strait  to  Cuida  and  Cape  Centa,  the  African 
Pillar  of  Hercules,  was  beautiful. 


48  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Gibraltar  is  three  miles  long  by  three-quarters  of  a 
The  World's  Great-    ""le  Wide.  It  is  hoiiey-combed  with  natu- 

est  stronghold,  ral  cavcs.  There  are  many  miles  of  tun- 
nels and  galleries,  stored  with  military  supplies  and  armed 
with  fortifications.  Two  great  tunnels  run  through  the 
rock  at  its  base,  the  one  at  the  north  and  the  other  at  the 
south  end.  Billions  upon  billions  have  been  spent  upon 
this  fortress.  By  it  the  British  hold  the  Russians  in 
check,  and  can  dictate,  at  least  negatively,  to  the  East. 
From  the  water's  edge  to  the  summit,  Gibraltar  frowns 
with  batteries.  Two  of  the  most  modern  and  powerful 
disappearing  swivel  guns  crown  the  apex.  No  forces,  by 
land  or  by  sea,  could  surprise  Gibraltar.  You  see  the 
power  of  England  here  as  nowhere  else  on  the  globe. 
Soldiers  are  on  every  hand,  and  you  are  always  under 
their  eye.  It  was  with  the  Kaiser  as  with  every  other 
visitor.  But  you  understand  it,  and  do  not  mind  it.  You 
land  here  only  by  express  permission  of  the  British  Gov- 
ernment, and  you  have  also  to  leave  at  a  certain  hour. 

We  drove  from  Europa  Point  to  the  "Neutral  Ground," 
passing  the  base-ball  ground,  where  a  game  was  being 
played  between  competitors  from  the 'artillery  and  infan- 
try. On  the  way  we  passed  through  a  grove  of  wild 
olives.  There  the  only  wild  monkeys  in  Europe  are 
found.  These  comprise  both  the  tailed  and  tailless  species. 
These  little  people  are  fawn-colored. 

Crossing  the  neutral  strip,  we  were  soon  in  the  kingdom 
of  Spain.    We  walked  at  once  to  the  place  of  the  greatest 

Into  Spain.  interest  in  Lina,  the  Plaza  de  Torres,  or  bull 
ring.  Here  they  engage  in  this  brutal  sport  on  every 
Lord's  day  during  the  summer  months.  Every  Sabbath 
six  of  these  poor  animals  are  slaughtered.  Here  you  can 
hardly  make  your  way  for  the  army  of  juvenile  beggars. 


GIBRALTAR.  49 

The  difference  between  Britain  and  Spain  is  very  strik- 
ing— almost  spectacular.  The  latter  looks  a  thousand 
years  behind  the  former. 

From  Lifia  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  northeast 
face  of  the  rock.  This  is  the  phase  of  the  mountain  which 
the  Prudential  has  adopted  as  its  illustration  and  symbol. 

The  population  of  Gibraltar  is  more  than  twenty  thou- 
sand, about  seven  thousand  of  whom  are  soldiers  and 
sailors.  The  streets  are  so  narrow  that  draught  horses 
and  mules  are  never  driven  two  abreast,  but  tandem. 
Here  you  see  Turks,  Arabs,  Moors,  and  Spaniards.  Great 
numbers  of  Spaniards  are  employed  in  the  docks.  You 
meet  armies  of  these  workmen  returning  to  Spain  in  the 
evening,  they  not  being  permitted  to  spend  the  night  in 
Gibraltar. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Algiers. 

AT  six  o'clock,  sharp,  we  weighed  anchor,  boxed  the 
compass,  and  were  off  for  the  capital  of  Algeria, 
with  flags  flying  and  the  band  playing  "America." 

We  sailed  around  the  Point  between  the  Pillars  of 
Hercules,  where  the  strait  is  only  fifteen  miles  wide. 
Here  the  current,  from  the  Atlantic  into  the  Mediterra- 
nean, is  two  and  a  half  miles  per  hour.  The  theory  of 
this  current  is  rapid  evaporation  and  under  and  side  cur- 
rents in  the  opposite  direction. 

The  flash-lights  from  two  great  lighthouses,  on  both 
continents,  greeted  us  as  we  passed. 

As  soon  as  we  entered  the  strait,  I  noticed  the  absence 
of  the  ocean  swell.  This  is  true  also  of  the  great  sea. 
Its  waters  contain  a  stronger  solution  of  salt  than  those 
of  the  Atlantic.  I  stood  on  the  top  deck  and  watched 
the  great  rock  disappear  under  the  mantle  of  night.  The 
African  mountains,  the  Sierra  Madras  and  the  sea,  made 
a  glorious  setting  for  this  incomparable  gem. 

Thus  ended  a  day  of  rare  privileges.  To  have  been 
permitted  to  look  upon  two  continents,  and  three  historic 
countries,  was  a  new  experience  for  me,  in  one  day. 

That  night  we  listened  to  addresses  on  Algiers.  Valu- 
able suggestions  as  to  "what  to  see  and  how  to  see  it," 
in  Algiers,  were  welcomed  by  us. 

The  Sabbath  dawned  beautiful  and  bright.  We  were 
awakened  by  the  sweet  strains  of  "Onward,  Christian 


ALGIERS.  51 

Soldiers,"  "From  Greenland's  Icy  Mountains,"  and 
"There  is  Rest  for  the  Weary,"  as  those  old  church 
hymns  were  rendered  by  the  orchestra.  At  10 130  we  at- 
tended public  worship,  where  Rev.  Dr.  Henry,  of  Phila- 
delphia, preached  a  sermon,  with  Joshua  xxii.  34,  as  his 
text.  The  session  of  the  Sabath-school  opened  at  2:45 
p.  M.  The  topic  was  "Christ  Feeding  the  Multitude." 
There  were  five  hundred  and  eighty-eight  present. 
The  school  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Pearce,  of  Ohio.  This 
proved  to  be  a  very  profitable  hour  to  all  in  attendance. 
The  services  at  night  were  conducted  by  Mr.  Semelroth, 
of  St.  Louis.  The  subject  was  "Christian  Fellowship." 

Monday,  at  5  a.  m.,  we  were  rounding  the  cape  for 
the  harbor  of  Algiers,  and  by  six,  were  making  ready  to 
fasten  the  hawsers  to  the  mole,  some  distance  from  the 
quay.  We  were  on  deck  with  open  eyes.  The  harbor 
stretched  toward  the  east ;  the  city  lay  spread  around  the 
west  side  of  the  harbor.  The  old  Moorish  city  was  to 
be  seen  far  up  the  mountain,  to  the  very  crest  of  the  ridge. 
The  new  city  of  the  French  extends  from  the  water's 
edge,  back  to  where  it  is  met  by  the  old  town  upon  the 
mountain  side. 

The  fishing  fleet  was  most  interesting,  with  its  ancient 
looking  sails.  Like  the  "Mosquito  Fleet,"  of  Charleston, 
these  boats  sail  out  in  the  early  morning,  and  return,  laden 
with  the  products  of  the  sea,  at  eventide.  The  divers, 
equipped  with  their  masks,  were  busy  off  the  mole,  bring- 
ing up  the  coal  that  had  been  dropped  overboard  when 
the  cargoes  of  coal  freighters  were  being  discharged.  The 
coal  was  drawn  up,  by  block  and  tackle,  in  stout  hampers. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  our  landing  in  small  row- 
boats,  carrying  the  stars  and  stripes.  At  the  quay  we 
On  African        Were  met  by  carriages  and  omnibuses.     I 

^'"'"  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  seat  on 


52  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  top  of  one  of  the  'busses,  drawn  by  two  Arabian 
horses.  This  was  my  first  introduction  to  the  celebrated 
Arab  steeds.  The  majority  of  these  are  grays  and  bays. 
They  are  not  large  animals,  but  muscular  and  active. 
Their  limbs  are  well  formed  and  graceful,  their  eyes  large 
and  intelligent,  their  necks  arched,  and  their  tails  long 
and  beautiful. 

Our  drive  led  through  French  Algiers,  down  through 
Mustafa,  past  the  military  drill  grounds,  to  the  Garden 
of  Palms.  There  we  left  our  carriages,  and  walked 
through  the  garden,  to  meet  them  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  stately  date-palm,  the  African  palm,  the  eucalyptus, 
banana  and  bamboo  were  a  joy  to  us.  To  me,  the  bamboo 
was  the  most  wonderful  of  all.  In  diameter,  just  above 
ground,  some  of  these  giants  are  six  and  seven  inches, 
and  reach  to  a  height  of  fifty  and  sixty  feet. 

The  drive  from  this  enchanting  spot  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  road  was  perfect. 
The  winding  of  the  pike,  around  and  up  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  was  indeed  most  beautiful.  The  grade  could 
not  have  been  improved  upon.  All  along  the  way  most 
beautiful  and  fragrant  flowers  abounded.  The  water 
tumbling  in  a  cataract  on  one  side,  and  the  towering  cliffs 
on  the  other,  afforded  a  delicious  variety.  An  old  under- 
shot wheel  added  much  to  the  picture.  Here  there  are 
many  other  wheels  used  for  the  purpose  of  lifting  the 
water  for  irrigating  the  gardens  and  vineyards.  The 
great  variety  of  sub-tropical  wild  flowers  on  every  hand 
delighted  us  with  their  beauty  and  fragrance.  There  were 
quarries  hundreds  of  feet  above  us,  where  the  loosened 
stones  were  allowed  to  come  thundering  down  the  moun- 
tain side,  not  far  from  where  our  road  led.  On  this  drive 
we  passed  by  many  vineyards,  and  orange,  lemon,  citron. 


ALGIERS.  53 

mandarin  and  lime  groves.  These  trees  presented  the 
lovely  picture  of  the  ripe  fruit,  the  green  half-grown 
fruit,  and  the  sweet,  fresh  blossoms — all  at  the  same 
time. 

The  old  Moorish  architecture,  with  its  square  walls, 
without  windows,  flat  roofs  and  open  courts,  was  some- 
thing new  to  us.  At  the  summit  there  were  magnificent 
residences  and  public  buildings.  One  of  the  most  inter- 
esting of  the  latter  was  the  Moorish  Convent,  or  "Sisini." 
There  the  kodak  contingent  were  forbidden  to  take  pic- 
tures of  the  premises ;  but  while  the  Moor  was  forbidding 
some  of  them,  others  were  "getting  in  their  work."  After 
passing  that  place  we  had  a  most  perfect  view  of  the  city 
and  harbor. 

About  half  the  distance  down  the  mountain  we  came  to 
the  palace  of  the  Governor.  We  were  admitted  into  the 
grounds.  The  house  was  a  fine  example  of  Moorish 
architecture,  and  the  garden  was  superb. 

A  little  farther  down  the  drive  we  came  to  the  old 

Cathedral  Musee,  where  ancient  relics  of  all  descriptions, 

A  Noble  from   Northern   Africa,   were   to  be   seen. 

Martyr.  There  the    interest    centers    in    the    plaster 

cast  of  Geronimo.  He  was  a  Moor,  who  was  captured 
by  the  Spaniards,  in  a  battle  with  the  Moors,  and  car- 
ried to  Spain.  There  he  was  converted  to  Christianity. 
Afterwards  he  was  returned  to  Algiers,  where 
he  was  com.manded  to  renounce  his  faith  in  Christ.  He 
refused,  and  was  then  told  that  if  he  did  not  recant  he 
would  be  thrown  into  a  vat  of  concrete  which  was  being 
prepared  for  the  building  of  a  wall.  He  was  firm,  and 
the  cruel  threat  was  carried  out.  Centuries  afterward, 
in  1853,  the  wall  was  torn  down.  The  tradition  of  the 
tragedy   had  marked  a   certain   section   of  concrete   as 


54  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  place  where  the  martyr  was  made  to  suffer.  An 
archaeologist  found  the  section,  and  had  it  broken  open. 
He  found  the  cavity  and  removed  the  bones.  These  are 
buried  in  the  cathedral  church,  below,  in  the  city,  and  a 
Latin  inscription  is  there,  to  mark  the  last  resting  place  of 
the  bones  of  this  faithful  servant  of  Christ. 

A  plaster  cast  of  the  mold  was  made,  and  is  now  found 
in  this  museum.  It  is  erected  on  a  frame,  face  downward. 
The  hands  are  bound  behind  his  back.  The  heavy  iron 
hand-cuffs  that  manacled  him  are  hanging  on  the  end  of 
the  table.  When  looking  at  the  face  which  looks  toward 
the  floor,  one  is  met  by  something  most  astonishing.  There 
is  a  life-like  expression  of  the  countenance.  The  look  is 
kindly,  full  of  faith,  hope,  and  love.  I  never  expected  to 
see  such  a  sight.  It  was  heavenly ;  the  product  of  Chris- 
tian trust  alone.  Surely  here  is  a  lesson  well  worth  taking 
to  heart  and  pondering. 

The  following  is  the  inscription  upon  the  tablet:  "Ossa 
venerabilis  servi  Dei  Geronimo  qui  illatam  sibi  pro  fide 
Christiana  mortem  opetiisse  traditum  in  arce  dicta  a 
viginti  quatuor  horis  in  qua  insperato  reperta  die  XXVII. 
Decembris,  anno  MDCCCLIII.,  Cathedral  Algiers, 
Africa." 

The  grounds  about  this  museum  are  very  beautiful. 
From  this  garden  one  sees  many  places  of  interest  in  the 
city,  as  it  stretches  northward  to  the  point  where  the 
Notre  Dame  Mosque  stands.  Here,  too,  is  to  be  seen  an 
old  water-wheel,  in  use  at  the  present  time. 

Soon  after  leaving  this  wonderful  place  we  passed  the 
Consulate  of  Denmark.  This,  too,  is  a  dream  of  beauty. 
Thence  a  rapidly  descending  drive  carries  you  into  the 
heart  of  the  city.  On  the  way  to  the  quay  you  pass  by 
the  Square  of  Marechal  Bugaud.    Immediately  after,  the 


ALGIERS.  55 

driver  called  out  "Je  Unis,"  and  we  came  down  upon  terra- 
Urma.  We  turned  our  feet  toward  a  mosque,  near  the 
park,  where  an  equestrian  statue  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans 
stands. 

The  mosque  was  a  revelation  to  me.  This,  to  the  Mos- 
lem, is  holy  ground.  You  are  not  permitted  to  step  upon 
Moslems  at         the  carpcts  and  rugs  till  you  have  slipped 

Worship.  your  fcct  into  woodcn  sandals.  Then  you 
are  allowed  to  go  around  as  much  as  you  please.  At  cer- 
tain places  you  see  devout  Moslems  at  prayer,  kneeling 
and  prostrating  themselves,  placing  their  foreheads  upon 
the  floor.  But,  before  they  pray,  they  must  go  to  the 
fountain  and  wash  their  hands  and  feet,  to  the  shoulders 
and  knees,  as  a  ceremonial  preparation  for  the  acts  of 
worship  that  are  to  follow.  Mohammedans  always  pray 
with  their  faces  toward  Mecca.  Five  times  a  day  the 
Muezzin  climbs  into  the  Minaret,  and  calls  the  faithful 
to  prayer  by  chanting,  in  as  loud  a  voice  as  possible,  the 
Mohammedan  creed:  "Allah  akber  (four  times);  Esse- 
hadou  Allah  il-laha  il- Allah  (twice)  ;  Essehadou  Anneh 
Muhammadan  ressool-ul-lah  (twice)  ;  Haayah  Allah 
sal-lah  (twice)  ;  Haayah  al  ul-fellah  (twice)  ;  Allah 
Akber  (twice)  ;  La  il  lah  il  Allah."  "Great  one,  I  avow 
there  is  no  god  but  God ;  I  avow  that  Mohammed  is  his 
prophet ;  let  us  go  and  pray ;  let  us  save  our  souls ;  God  is 
great;  there  is  no  god  but  God." 

I  was  solemnly  impressed,  as  I  witnessed  the  blind 
devotion  of  these  men.  Their  fidelity  to  their  religion  is 
both  an  example  and  a  rebuke  to  many  of  us  who  have 
a  better  light  and  a  brighter  hope.  Of  course,  one  is  very 
careful  not  to  offend  these  benighted  children  of  men  in 
the  maintenance  of  their  conscientious  position. 

We  lunched  at  the  Grand  Hotel  of  the  Foreigners,  our 


56  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

first  meal  in  Africa.  It  was  an  elegant  repast,  for  which 
we  paid  three  francs  and  fifty  centimes.  I  would  be 
baffled  in  any  attempt  to  give  the  bill  of  fare,  as  we  were 
served  with  African  dishes,  prepared  according  to  the 
mysteries  of  the  French  cuisine.  Thence  we  sallied  forth 
to  see  more  of  the  everyday  life  of  the  people. 

There  are  large  Arab  quarters  in  the  city,  which  reveal 
all  the  virtues  and  vices  of  Arab  life.  The  term,  "quar- 
ters," indicates  that  the  Arabs,  Moors  and  Turks,  re- 
spectively, occupy  exclusive  portions  of  the  city  of 
Algiers. 

The  city  being  built  upon  a  succession  of  natural  ter- 
races, these  quarters  are  separated  from  one  another  by 
long  flights  of  stone  steps. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  places  in  the  city  is  the 
market,  under  a  spacious  awning,  at  the  head  of  a  long 
flight  of  steps,  leading  from  the  Rue  de  Republique.  It 
is  a  great  bazaar,  where  you  could  purchase  anything  to 
eat  or  to  wear,  I  was  specially  interested  in  the  great 
variety  of  native  fruits  and  vegetables  on  sale.  There 
you  could  see  all  classes  of  citizens,  the  lower  classes  pre- 
vailing. 

In  Algiers  there  are   105,000  inhabitants.     Of  these, 

30,000  are  Frenchmen,  25,000  Arabs,  20,000  Hebrews, 

and  15,000  Italians.     There  are  also  many 

Nationalities.       rr.i"^T./r  t^i-.  ia  •  tut- 

lurks.  Moors,  English  and  Americans.  We 
paid  a  visit  to  the  stores  and  post-office  to  get  some  little 
souvenirs  and  mail  letters  home. 

The  Turks,  Arabs  and  Moors  are  peculiar  in  their  busi- 
ness methods.  They  invariably  ask  at  least  three  times 
as  much  for  their  wares  as  they  expect  to  receive.  If 
you  pay  their  first  price  they  are  astonished,  but  receive 
what  you  give ;  if  you  ofifer  two-thirds,  they  are  little  less 


ALGIERS.  57 

surprised,  but  will  take  your  offer;  but  you  are  safe  in 
offering  about  one-third  of  the  stipulated  sum. 

We  then  went  to  the  dock,  and  embarked  in  a  row- 
boat,  manned  by  a  Soudanese  negro.  He  was  the  first 
person  to  ask  me  for  "Backsheesh." 

At  the  appointed  hour,  five  o'clock,  we  put  out  to  sea. 
I  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  sight  of  the  fine  sea  wall, 
as  I  thought  of  the  fact  that  it  was  built  by  the  labor  of 
enslaved  Christians,  under  the  relentless  lash  of  the 
Moors. 

There  was  a  feeling  of  gratitude,  mingled  with  pity, 
as  I  left  this  beautiful  city  to  the  west  of  us — igratitude 
that  I  had  been  permitted  to  see  this  place,  and  pity  for 
the  inhabitants,,  chiefly  the  women,  who  are  so  degraded 
and  enslaved.  There  the  first  thing  that  meets  you  is  the 
veiled  woman.  The  poor  creatures  can  never  let  their 
faces  be  seen.  When  you  meet  them,  you  see  only  their 
eyes.  There  is  something  most  pathetic  in  the  dark  eyes, 
that  look  straight  at  you,  as  if  to  appeal  for  help.  There 
is  a  great  work  for  the  western  world  to  do  here — espe- 
cially for  the  women,  who  must  have  much  to  do  with 
the  emancipation  of  their  sex  in  the  East,  without  their 
privileges  and  honors. 

The  country  of  Algeria  is  controlled  by  France ;  and 
at  the  capital  city  French  is  the  official  language. 

The  captain,  with  the  Executive  Committee  and  their 
wives,  gave  a  reception  to  the  cruisers  that  evening.  At 
this  reception  the  official  badge  of  membership  in  the 
Jerusalem  Convention  was  given. 

The  first  land  we  saw  the  next  morning  was  the  Gala- 
teas.  These  consist  of  one  larger  and  several  smaller 
rugged,  rocky  cliffs,  which  rise  abruptly  out  of  the  water. 
From  there  the  mainland  can  be  seen,  extending  along 


58  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

to  Cape  Farina.  The  sand  hills  and  slopes  were  seen 
distinctly  as  we  sailed  by.  This  looked  quite  familiar  to 
one  accustomed  to  seeing  the  sandhills  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia.  Not  a  sign  of  vegetation  could  be  seen  on 
these  hills,  where  the  sand  abounded.  Elsewhere  the  sur- 
face, except  where  it  was  bare  rock,  appeared  to  be  cov- 
ered with  verdure  and  trees. 

Later  on,  we  sighted  the  small,  rocky  island  of  Djamur. 
Then,  away  to  the  southeast,  we  could  see  the  mainland, 
stretching  on  to  Cape  Bon.  This  is  a  prominent  point, 
extending  into  the  water,  and  receding  promptly  as  soon 
as  the  point  is  made.  There  were  two  lighthouses  to  be 
seen,  the  one  near  the  edge  of  the  water,  the  other,  a 
beacon,  on  the  highest  point,  back  of  the  great  lighthouse. 

At  noon  we  were  in  latitude  37°  35',  longitude  9°  13'  E. 
From  Taylor,  Texas,  I  had  gone  a  little  over  one-fourth 
of  the  distance  around  the  world.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hatch, 
of  Three  Oaks,  Mich.,  gave  us  a  most  delightful  address 
on  "The  Knights  Hospitalers  of  St.  John."  Dr.  Jessup 
followed  this  with  a  suggestive  talk  on  Malta.  As  we 
were  to  anchor  in  Valetta  harbor  at  6  a.  m.,  and  as  we 
would  have  to  rise  very  early  for  a  sight  of  St.  Paul's 
Bay,  we  retired  without  delay. 


CHAPTER  Vll. 

Malta. 

I  WAS  up  before  dawn,  to  get  a  sight  of  St.  Paul's 
Bay  as  we  passed.  But  all  I  could  see  was  the  light- 
house. As  I  looked  out  on  the  dark  waters  I  tried  to 
imagine  what  it  meant  to  Paul,  a  prisoner,  when  he  was 
in  unknown  waters,  in  a  storm,  which  had  lasted  fourteen 
days.  What  a  brave  spirit  it  was  that  animated  this 
faithful  man  of  God !  Such  experiences  will  help  to  a 
better  realization  and  appreciation  of  the  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  I  embarked  in  a  gondola 
carrying  the  star  that  showed  it  to  be  in  the  service  of 
the  cruise.  On  reaching  the  landing,  we  took  carriages 
that  were  in  waiting.  Then  we  drove  to  the  Malta  rail- 
way station,  where  we  took  the  train  for  Citta  Vecchia, 
seven  miles  away.  As  in  Gibraltar,  everything  there  is 
of  the  nature  of  a  fortification. 

The  Malta  group  is  composed  of  three  small  islands: 
Malta,  Gozo  and  Comino.     Malta  is  seventeen  miles  in 

length,  by  nine  miles  in  breadth.  The  high- 
Malta  Group.  .  ,.,,..,,         ,       ,         , 

est  pomt  on  the  island  is  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  feet  above  sea  level.  Its  population  is  two 
hundred  thousand.  The  old  capital  is  Citta  Vecchia,  built 
upon  the  highest  prominence  on  the  island.  The  present 
capital  is  Valetta,  on  the  Grand  Harbor,  on  the  northeast 
of  Malta. 

The  land  rises  precipitously  and  boldly  out  of  the  water. 
As  you  approach,  you  would  think  it  to  be  a  barren, 


6o  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

inhospitable  mass  of  rock.  Such  it  was,  practically,  when 
first  settled.  Shiploads  of  soil  were  brought  from  Sicily, 
sixty  miles  to  the  north.  The  principal  stone  of  the 
island  is  a  soft  sand  and  chalk-rock,  which  easily  crum- 
bles, and  is  readily  reduced  to  a  soil  that  can  be  enriched. 
The  fertilizer  used  is  never  wasted,  because  of  the  under- 
lying stratum,  which  prevents  the  richness  of  the  soil 
from  sinking,  and  thus  being  lost  to  the  gardener  and 
farmer.  The  hillsides  are  terraced  with  walls  of  these 
stones,  gathered  up  and  so  placed  to  get  them  out  of  the 
way.  Most  of  the  soil  is  spaded  or  dug  up  with  picks. 
They  do  not  irrigate,  but  depend  upon  the  rainfall,  and 
the  moisture  of  the  sea,  which  envelops  Malta  as  a  robe. 
The  gardens  abound  in  barley,  crimson  clover,  pulse, 
beans,  onions,  potatoes,  artichokes  and  Maltese  turnips. 
These  turnips  sit  upon  the  surface,  while  only  the  roots 
penetrate  the  soil.  The  cedar,  pine,  privet,  and  loquot  are 
seen  everywhere. 

In  San  Antonio  Gardens,  just  outside  Citta  Vecchia, 
we  picked  the  oranges  from  the  trees.  That  was  an  ideal 
spot.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  is  a  fine  spring,  which  sup- 
plies the  city  of  Valetta  with  water.  The  trains  were 
crowded  to  their  utmost,  but  the  company  was  a  happy 
one,  and  it  did  not  matter  if  they  were  a  little  uncom- 
fortable. From  Museum  station  we  were  in  the  care  of 
official  guides,  who  did  their  work  well. 

The  first  place  visited  was  the  catacombs.    These  were 

built  by  the  Phoenicians,  and  were  afterwards  occupied 

by  the   Christians   when  oppressed   by   the 

Ancient  Capital.    ^       ,  a  ,,     ,         ,        ,   ,       ,.  , 

iurks.  All  the  dead  bodies  were  then  taken 
out  and  buried  in  the  cemetery.  There  I  saw  the  places 
where  the  Christians  ground  their  grain,  cooked,  ate,  and 
slept. 


MALTA.  6i 

Then  we  went  to  St.  Paul's  Church.  This  remarkable 
structure  is  built  upon  the  traditional  site  of  the  house 
in  which  Paul  sojourned  during  the  three  months  of  his 
life  on  Malta.  Over  the  doors  there  is  an  inscription  in 
Latin  to  that  effect.  Under  the  dome  there  is  a  repro- 
duction of  I  Cor.  ix.  2:  ''Si  aliis  non  sum  apostolus  sed 
tamen  vobis  sum."  Behind  the  main  altar  is  a  wonderful 
series  of  paintings :  "Paul's  Conversion,"  "Paul  Preaching 
to  the  People,"  and  "Paul's  Shipwreck."  But  the  largest 
and  most  impressive  of  these  pictures  was  the  one  which 
represented  Paul  and  the  whole  company  standing  around 
the  fire  built  by  the  "barbarians."  A  viper  springs  out 
of  the  lire  and  fastens  upon  the  apostle's  hand,  and  is 
promptly  shaken  off  into  the  fire.  It  is  a  fine  picture. 
The  artist  has  admirably  succeeded  in  representing  the 
look  of  consternation  upon  the  faces  of  all  the  witnesses. 
These  paintings  are  unveiled  for  a  "consideration."  There 
are  several  other  large  pictures  of  Paul  in  different  parts 
of  the  church.  The  architecture  here  is  Romanesque. 
The  marble  is  wonderful,  both  as  to  character  and 
abundance. 

Out  in  the  cemetery,  on  the  adjoining  square,  was  a 
large  statue  of  Paul,  in  marble.  From  this  we  went  to 
the  Cathedral,  where  the  house  of  Publius  used  to  stand. 
This  imposing  structure  occupies  a  commanding  position, 
overlooking  the  sea  and  Valetta  and  Sliema,  lying  at  the 
water's  edge.  A  magnificent  view  to  the  east  and  north 
could  be  enjoyed  from  that  point.  Here  the  architecture 
is  Gothic  in  its  style.  The  paintings  are  of  immense  pro- 
portions. There  is  a  very  large  one  here  of  the  shipwreck 
of  Paul,  which  is  rather  grotesque  in  its  conception.  St. 
Paul's  Cathedral  does  not  compare  with  St.  Paul's 
Church.     The  decorations  are  less  refined;  and  where 


62  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

marble  is  used  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  it  is  wood  and  can- 
vass, painted,  in  the  cathedral.  At  the  cathedral  door  we 
took  a  carriage  for  the  Governor's  summer  palace,  and 
San  Antonio  Gardens,  beyond.  This  was  a  grand  drive. 
Everywhere  you  could  enjoy  a  splendid  prospect.  We 
went  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  houses  in  the  garden.  It 
is  all  of  stone — floors,  roof,  and  all.  There  is  a  stable 
below,  and  the  family  live  just  above.  Of  course,  this 
was  one  of  the  humbler  houses.  The  stone  steps  led  up 
on  the  outside,  and  were  without  banisters.  The  mangers 
were  of  stone.  I  never  saw  the  crimson  clover,  the 
daisies,  and  oxalis  with  its  pure  lemon  yellow,  more  beau- 
tiful than  they  were  there.  We  drove  back  directly  to 
the  station;  and  on  the  way  I  jumped  out  and  gathered 
some  wild  flowers  to  take  home. 

Across  the  station  to  the  north  was  the  great  "Imtarfa" 
Barracks,  with  a  tower  very  similar  to  the  one  at  the 
"Post,"  in  San  Antonio,  Texas.  To  the  north  of  east 
from  the  station  there  stands  the  "second  largest  dome 
in  the  world."  It  is  a  chapel  under  the  hill.  We  left  on 
the  first  train  for  Valetta,  in  an  observation  car.  One  of 
the  features  of  the  railway  line  is  the  tunnels,  which  have 
been  cut  through  the  soft  rock.  Tliis  is^  also  seen  on  a 
large  scale  about  the  quays,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Victoria 
Gate,  opening  into  the  city.  The  principal  thoroughfare 
of  Valetta  is  "Strada  Reale." 

We  took  lunch  before  beginning  the  excursion  of  the 

afternoon.     We  then  went  to  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John. 

There  the   frescoing  was  beautiful.     The 

Modern  Capital.  .  ,  .  _  ... 

pamter  spent  thirty-five  years  m  his  crea- 
tions, and  would  not  accept  a  shilling  for  his  life-work. 
Here  is  a  painting  of  the  Madonna,  crowned  with  gold, 
said  to  be  the  work  of  St.  Luke !     It  has  to  be  unveiled 


MALTA.  63 

and  lighted  up;  then  you  must  stand  at  a  distance  in 
order  to  be  able  to  see  it  in  its  proper  perspective.  In 
a  crypt  below  are  several  sarcophagi,  splendid  in  char- 
acter. There  is  one  of  La  Valette,  the  first  "Grand  Mas- 
ter of  Knights  of  St.  John,"  in  Maha.  Also,  one  of 
Adam,  the  chief  of  the  same  order  in  the  island  of  Rhodes, 
before  their  expulsion  by  the  Turks.  Then  there  is  one 
of  St.  John  himself.  This  last  is  the  most  imposing  of 
the  three.  On  the  lid  of  Valette's  is  a  bronze  figure  of 
the  daring  knight  in  his  armor.  The  stone  carving  in  this 
cathedral  is  most  elaborate,  so  that  you  are  caused  to 
wonder  greatly.  The  Latin  is  of  the  ancient  type,  certain 
forms  of  which  are  not  familiar  to  one  acquainted  with 
Ciceronian  Latin. 

From  this  cathedral  we  went  to  the  Governor's  winter 
palace.  Here  is  found  the  finest  collection  of  armor 
outside  of  London.  Here  are  the  equipments  that  were 
worn  and  wielded  by  La  Valette  and  Adam.  From  the 
helmet  to  the  sandals,  offensive  and  defensive  armor,  is 
complete.  Here,  too,  the  coach  used  by  Valette  is  pre- 
served in  the  middle  of  the  hall.  Napoleon  is  said  to 
have  been  the  last  man  who  rode  in  it.  Here,  also,  is  an 
old  palanquin,  the  first  one  that  I  remember  to  have  seen. 
You  see  there  the  stone  cannon  balls  used  in  the  ancient 
mortars.  One  double-barrelled  flint  and  steel  shot-gun 
is  seen  in  the  armory.  One  barrel  is  placed  under  the 
other.  Two  old  spiked  clubs  are  there.  They  are  exceed- 
ingly cruel  examples  of  death-dealing  weapons. 

All  of  this  is  full  of  interest  to  one  who  knows  some- 
thing of  the  deadly  conflict  that  was  waged  between  the 
Moslem  and  the  Christian.  Thence  we  went  to  the 
"Chapel  of  Bones,"  where  a  crypt  is  lined  and  decorated 
with  human  bones — a  most  gruesome  picture!    With  a 


64  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

sigh  of  relief,  one  turns  away  from  this  ghastly  exhibition. 
One  explanation  is  that  these  are  the  bones  of  thousands 
of  Christians  who  were  killed  by  the  Moslems  before 
Malta  was  won  for  the  cross. 

We  walked  from  this  to  the  market,  where  we  quite 
enjoyed  the  sight.  The  final  object  of  our  sight-seeing 
was  the  Baraca  Garden.  From  the  Victoria  Piazza,  in 
the  grounds,  we  had  a  most  glorious  view  of  the  sea,  the 
grand  harbor,  Fort  St.  Elmo,  the  custom-house,  the  dry 
docks,  and  the  British  men-of-war.  Britain  owns  Malta, 
and  the  land  is  leased  to  the  inhabitants  for  occupation. 
Of  course,  the  official  language  is  English.  In  full  view 
of  Victoria  Piazza  is  the  monument  of  Ball,  standing  in 
a  commanding  position  on  St.  Elmo. 

Of  the  population  of  Malta,  ten  thousand  are  British 
soldiers.  The  Highland  Regiment  are  most  picturesque, 
with  their  kilts  and  coat-of-arms.  The  natives  are  a 
mixed  race,  with  Italian  and  Arabian  ancestors,  and,  as 
might  be  expected,  their  language  is  a  composite  of  like 
character. 

Malta  is  second  only  to  Gibraltar,  in  the  British  Em- 
pire, as  an  impregnable  fortress.  The  advantage  of  Malta 
to  Great  Britain,  from  a  military  point  of  view,  is  ines- 
timable. Its  position  is  central,  with  reference  to  the 
Levant;  it  provides  an  inexhaustible  coaling  station,  and 
its  dry-dock  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  navy. 
The  streets  of  Malta's  capital  are  narrow  and  well  kept. 
The  surface  is  very  hilly.  One  of  the  first  things  to  notice 
is  the  style  of  vehicle.  It  is  the  Maltese  victoria  we  used 
in  Gibraltar.  Another  characteristic  is  the  Faldetta, 
which  the  ladies  wear.  This  bonnet  is  universally  worn. 
I  would  not  be  rash  enough  to  attempt  a  description  of 
this  headgear,  but  would  recommend  it  to  my  fair  friends 


» 


MALTA.  65 

at  home,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it  would  take  out  of 
their  lives  one  of  their  highest  privileges — their  interest 
in  the  millinery  openings.  These  "openings"  are  unknown 
in  Malta. 

Our  visit  to  Malta  was  quite  an  event  in  the  history  of 
the  place.  They  do  not  see  much  of  their  neighbors,  for 
obvious  reasons. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  Malta  is  the 
lace  industry.  In  Vecchia  and  Valetta  the  bazaar  is  the 
rule.  Maltese  lace  is  world^famed,  their  patterns  being- 
found  only  in  Malta.  On  shipboard  before  sailing,  there 
was  a  busy  scene.  The  last  purchases  were  being  made. 
Here  many  hundreds  were  spent,  by  both  men  and 
women,  in  lace  souvenirs. 

The  eight-point  cross,  brought  from  Rhodes  by  the 
Knights  of  St.  John,  is  the  distinctive  emblem  of  Malta. 
As  the  Maltese  cat  is  a  favorite  in  our  households,  it 
would  be  of  special  interest  to  the  children  to  know  that 
this  island  is  the  home  of  their  attractive  pet. 

Great  crowds   of  people  lined  the  galleries  to  wave 

"good-bye"  to  us,  as  we  steamed  out  of  the  port,  at  5  p.  m. 

The  captain  had  promised  that  we  should 

"^hipwfec^ker'  h^^e  ^  go°^  ^^^w  o^  St.  Paul's  Bay,  seven 
miles  west  of  Valetta.  So  we  turned  out  of 
our  way  for  this  purpose.  At  the  proper  time  it  was 
announced,  and  the  bay  was  pointed  out.  There  "a  cer- 
tain creek  with  a  shore"  remains  to  this  day  the  same, 
for  the  shore  is  of  imperishable  rock.  The  "place  where 
two  seas  met,"  and  where  the  Alexandrian  ship  went  to 
pieces,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  must  ever  remain 
unchanged.  On  a  rock  in  the  bay  there  stands  a  fine 
marble  statue  of  the  great  apostle,  to  commemorate  this 
thrilling  incident  in  his  eventful  life. 


66  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

I  can  never  describe  my  feelings  as  I  looked  on  the 
place  where  as  great  an  example  of  courage  and  faith  as 
is  found  in  history  was  seen.  From  this  point  we  turned 
seaward,  and  were  off  for  historic  Greece.  The  moon 
looked  down  upon  us,  and  the  stars  also,  and  smiled,  as 
we  thanked  God  for  the  pleasure  and  profit  that  he  had 
given  us.  That  night  Dr.  Jessup  delivered  a  most  instruc- 
tive address  on  "Forty-eight  Years  a  Missionary  in 
Syria."    Tired  and  grateful,  we  laid  us  down  to  sleep. 


^1 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Athens. 

THE  next  day  was  one  of  no  special  interest,  as  we 
were  on  the  way  to  Athens,  the  "Eye  of  Greece, 
and  Mother  of  Arts  and  Eloquence."  Toward  sundown 
a  bird,  that  I  took  to  be  a  swallow,  flew  on  deck,  and 
flitted  about  like  a  discontented  passenger.  This  assured 
us  that  we  were  nearing  land.  Soon  we  sighted  the  re- 
volving light  on  Cape  Matapan.  We  did  not  sail  in  sight 
of  the  island  of  Crete,  but  left  it  to  the  south.  About  ten 
O'clock  we  could  see  two  other  lights,  one  on  each  side. 

During  the  evening  we  had  a  classic  lecture  on  Athens, 
by  Mr.  Henry  Houk,  of  Pennsylvania,  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction  for  the  Keystone  State.  Following 
this  was  a  brief  address  by  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  upon  the 
Athenians  as  men  of  thought,  which  was  embodied  in 
literature,  architecture,  sculpture,  and  philosophy. 

My  purpose  was  to  rise  early  the  next  morning  to  see 

the  Acropolis,  as  we  entered  the  harbor  of  Piraeus.    Ac- 

At  Anchor         cordiug  to  plan,   I   was   up   and   saw  the 

in  Piraeus,  "mother  of  dawu,  the  rosy-fingered  morn- 
ing appear,"  from  out  the  "starry  kirtled  night."  The 
opalescent  east  was  a  scene  of  quiet  glory.  We  came  to 
anchor  in  the  harbor,  where  were  lying  three  large  Aus- 
trian men-of-war  and  a  forest  of  other  craft  of  every 
description.  The  large  freight  steamer  is  the  chief  feature 
of  the  shipping  at  Pirseus. 

After  breakfast  we  were  landed  by  tenders  and  row- 


68  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

boats,  all  flying  United  States  flags.  A  walk  across  the 
square  from  the  quay  brought  us  to  the  cars  waiting  to 
transport  us  to  Athens,  five  miles  distant.  The  run 
through  olive  groves  and  farms  is  quickly  made. 

On  arrival  at  Athens,  we  left  the  train  at  Theseion 
station,  where  we  took  carriages  for  the  day.  The  only 
trouble  about  the  drive  proved  to  be  the  inability  of  the 
driver  to  speak  English;  but  we  managed,  through  the 
guides,  to  get  a  pretty  good  general  view  of  the  city  the 
first  day. 

We  took  dinner  at  the  Hotel  Splendid,  and  then  spent 
the  afternoon  much  as  we  had  the  morning  in  locating 
different  places  of  interest  and  in  visiting  the  museums. 
Late,  we  returned  by  rail  to  Piraeus,  to  spend  the  night 
on  the  ship — a  very  tired  multitude. 

Saturday  morning  we  were  up  and  breakfasted  about 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  earlier  than  usual.  With  my 
Chief  Objects  friend,  Gongaware,  I  then  went  out  and  pur- 
of  Interest.  chascd  a  guidc  book  on  Greece.  With  this 
we  located,  with  great  satisfaction,  the  Temple  of  the 
Olympian  Jove,  Hadrian's  Arch,  Theatre  of  Bacchus, 
Temple  of  ^sculapius.  Theatre  of  Herod  Atticus,  Soc- 
rates' Prison,  the  Acropolis,  with  the  Parthenon,  Temple 
of  Victory,  Propylse,  Temple  of  the  Virgin,  Museum, 
and  the  Belvidere.  The  other  places  were :  Monument 
of  Philopappos,  Hill  of  the  Pnyx,  Hill  of  the  Nymphs, 
Mars'  Hill  Tomb  of  Kimon,  Theseus  Temple,  Monument 
of  Lysocrates,  Stoa  of  Hadrian,  Old  Cemetery,  Stoa  of 
Attalos,  Gate  of  the  Agora,  Gymnasium,  Tower  of  the 
Winds,  together  with  the  old  Roman  Market  Place,  and 
last,  the  restored  Stadion. 

The  origin  of  Athens,  like  that  of  Rome,  is  veiled  in 
the  clouds  of  uncertainty.     But,  according  to  Heroditus, 


ATHENS.  69 

the  Greek  historian,  the  ancient  capital  of 
First  Traces,  ^^^j^^  ^^^g  founded  by  Cecrops,  the  Egyp- 
tian, in  the  year  1556  B.  C.  The  city  was  first  called 
Cecropia,  and  afterwards  the  name  Athense  was  given 
it  in  honor  of  the  goddess  Athene,  who  guarded  the  in- 
terests of  the  Acropolis.  A  gold  and  ivory  statue  of  this 
deity,  thirty-nine  feet  in  height,  the  work  of  Phidias,  was, 
in  the  process  of  time,  erected  just  inside  the 
Propylse. 

The  citadel  occupied  the  level  plateau  of  a  limestone 
hill,  whose  sides  rose  perpendicularly  to  a  height  of  sev- 
Acropoiis.  eral  hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground  surrounding  it.  This  plateau  would  measure  a 
little  more  than  five  hundred  by  one  thousand  feet.  On 
this  sacred  area  were  assembled  some  of  their  most 
notable  structures :  the  Parthenon,  or  Temple  of  Minerva, 
the  Erechtheion  and  the  Temple  of  Athene  Nike,  or  the 
"Wingless  Victory."  The  Parthenon  was  the  most  fault- 
less specimen  of  ancient  art,  and  surpassed  all  other  build- 
ings in  the  classic  city,  both  in  its  design  and  realization. 
Its  foundation  measures  loi  by  228  feet.  The  temple  is 
supported  by  forty-six  fluted  Doric  columns,  eight  on 
each  end  and  fifteen  on  each  side.  The  columns  are  thirty- 
five  feet  in  height,  with  basal  and  capital  diameters,  6  feet 
3  inches  and  4  feet  10  inches,  respectively.  These  columns 
formed  the  outside  framework  of  the  temple.  Besides 
these  there  are  sixteen  other  large  and  thirty-six  smaller 
columns  in  this  splendid  structure.  The  entire  temple 
is  built  of  Pentelic  marble,  and  in  its  ruins,  after  two  and 
a  half  millenniums,  it  commands  the  admiration  of  every 
lover  of  art.  The  Parthenon  was  the  proudest  triumph 
of  Greek  architecture. 

The  Erechtheion  is  constructed  upon  a  design  distinc- 


70  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

lively  Ionic,  and  was  built  to  hold  the  shrines  of  Athene. 
Its  length  is  not  over  sixty-six  feet,  while  its  width  is 
only  thirty-seven  feet.  The  front  of  this  temple,  facing 
the  south,  is  guarded  and  ornamented  by  six  columns, 
with  richly  carved  capitals.  These  pillars  are  two  and  a 
half  feet  in  diameter,  are  twenty-two  feet  high,  and  are 
decorated  with  twenty-four  flutes  each.  Like  the  Par- 
thenon and  Theseion,  the  Erechtheion  was  once  occupied 
as  a  Christian  church ;  and  as  the  Parthenon  was  at  one 
time  used  as  a  Mohammedan  mosque,  so  was  the  Erech- 
theion desecrated  as  the  harem  of  a  Turkish  Pasha. 

The  Temple  of  the  Wingless  Victory  I  found  exceed- 
ingly attractive.  It  stands  on  the  extreme  southwest 
corner  of  the  Acropolis  plateau,  the  dimensions  of  its 
foundation  being  eighteen  by  twenty-seven  feet.  The 
sides  of  this  beautiful  temple  face  east  and  west.  The 
columns  number  only  eight,  four  being  arranged  at  each 
end.  Like  the  other  temples  on  the  Acropolis,  the  temple 
of  Nike  Apteros  is  built  of  the  favorite  Pentelic  marble. 
The  occasion  of  the  erection  of  this  sanctuary  is  said  to 
have  been  a  victory  of  the  Atheneans  over  the  Persians. 
Peviously,  victories  of  the  Atheneans  had  taken  wings 
and  departed  from  them.  This  time  they  determined  to 
make  a  repetition  of  this  calamity  impossible ;  hence,  they 
erected  a  temple  to  Nike  Apteros,  or  Wingless  Vic- 
tory, so  that  the  success  of  their  arms  over  their  enemies 
might  remain  with  them  forever. 

The  Acropolis  was  the  centre  of  ancient  Athens,  and 

was  considered  the  very  heart  of  Attica.     It  is  situated 

five  miles  from  the  harbor  of  Piraeus,  with  which  it  was 

connected    by    two    famous    long    walls. 

Long  Walls,  ,      .,      ,  «  •       „     ,  •  ^    rr^, 

built  by  the  unrivalled  genius  of  Themis- 
tocles.    The  popular  interest  in  the  erection  of  these  walls 


ATHENS.  71 

is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  women  and  children  enthu- 
siastically gave  their  time  and  labor  for  the  promotion 
of  the  enterprise. 

The  golden  age  of  Athens  was  embraced  within  the 

fifth  century,  B.  C,  during  the  administration  of  Pericles. 

At  that  time  Athens  numbered  among  her 

Golden  Age.  .... 

inhabitants  one  hundred  thousand  free  citi- 
zens, with  over  two  hundred  thousand  slaves.  Anciem 
Athens  has  had  no  rival  in  the  history  of  the  world.  She 
furnished  the  university  for  all  the  nations ;  and  to  her 
schools  of  letters,  science  and  art,  the  brightest 
scholars  from  all  countries  flocked.  So  unquestioned  was 
her  supremacy,  that  she  has  reigned  in  the  realm  of  cul- 
ture, having  been  crowned  queen  by  all  the  centres  of 
learning,  for  the  past  three  thousand  years,  while  no 
institution  has  risen  to  dispute  her  right  to  the  throne. 
Even  in  the  twentieth  century  of  the  Christian  era,  she 
supplies  the  models  for  the  artist,  the  philosopher,  and  the 
rhetorician. 

The  Temple  of  Jupiter  was  surpassed,  in  size  and  mag- 
nificence, by  only  one  other  Greek  sanctuary,  that  of 
On  the  Banks      Diana,  at  Ephesus,  Asia  Minor.    The  foun- 
of  iiissos.  dation  is  171  feet  by  354.    The  temple  was 

adorned  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  huge  fluted 
Corinthian  columns,  placed  in  two  rows,  of  twenty  each, 
on  each  side ;  three  rows,  of  eight  each,  at  each  end.  The 
sides  of  the  structure  look  toward  the  north  and 
south.  These  columns  measure  sixty-one  feet  in  height 
and  six  feet  in  diameter.  To-day  sixteen  of  those  grace- 
ful shafts  remain  to  point  to  the  glory  of  the  great  temple, 
that  required  seven  hundred  years  for  its  completion. 
This  splendid  pile  was  called  by  Philostratus  "a  struggle 
with  time,"  and  by  Aristotle  "a  work  of  despotic  gran- 


72  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

deiir."  The  sacred  enclosure  of  the  temple  measured 
426  by  676  feet.  The  temple  proper  held  a  noble  statue 
of  Jupiter  Olympus,  made  of  ivory  and  gold,  the  finished 
work  of  the  genius  of  Phidias. 

Mars'  Hill  stands  directly  west  of  the  Acropolis.  Upon 

this  eminence  you  look  down  from  the  Propylse.    It  rises 

about  four  hundred  feet  above  the  street 

The  Hill  of  Mars.  .  ,  -r  ,.,..,, 

at  its  western  base.  It  was  distinguished 
as  the  place  where  the  Supreme  Court  of  Athens  sat. 
This  court  was  invested  with  great  dignity,  and  was 
charged  with  the  care  of  the  morals  of  the  city.  Their 
meetings  were  held  in  the  open  air,  and  they  took  cog- 
nizance of  blasphemy,  profanity,  and  other  offences 
against  the  gods. 

In  the  year  52  A.  D.,  the  Apostle  Paul  went  from  Berea 
to  Rome,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 

While  he  waited  for  Timothy  and  Silas,  his  spirit  was 
stirred  within  him,  as  he  saw  the  city  wholly  given  to 
idolatry.  In  the  synagogue  he  discussed 
Paul  in  Athens.  |j^jj^^  doctrincs  with  the  Jews  and  devout 
persons,  and  in  the  market-place  he  daily  met  with  the 
Epicurean  and  Stoic  philosophers. 

Before  the  court  of  Areopagus  Paul  was  brought  by 
the  multitude,  that  they  might  know  what  the  "babbler." 
who  seemed  "to  be  a  setter  forth  of  strange  gods,"  would 
have  to  say  for  himself.  This  furnished  the  occasion  for 
one  of  the  most  admirable  addresses  ever  delivered  by 
the  lips  of  man.  In  this  wonderful  sermon  the  splendid 
tact  and  Christ-like  faithfulness  of  this  gifted  servant  of 
God  were  brilliantly  exhibited. 

During  Paul's  sojourn  in  Athens  he  wrote  two  of  the 
pastoral  epistles.  Eirst  and  Second  Thessalonians. 

The  history  of  ancient  Athens  was  a  most  checkered 


ATHENS.  73 

one.     She  passed  through  varied  forms  of  government, 
from    an    absolute    monarchy    to    a    pure 

Ancient  Athens.      ,  -r.  i       •  ii        j  i- 

democracy.  It  was  durmg  the  democratic 
rule  that  Athens  attained  her  highest  prosperity. 

Attica  was  frequently  invaded  by  the  armies  of  Persia, 
Macedonia,  Lacedemonia,  Rome,  and  Turkey.  In  their 
defences  the  most  brilliant  achievements  in  the  history  ol 
warfare  were  won  by  the  Greeks.  The  immortal  heroism 
of  Leonidas  and  the  three  hundred  at  Thermopylae  will 
ever  remain  amongst  the  most  thrilling  exploits  of  the 
field  of  battle. 

In  June,  1822,  the  Greeks  regained  possession  of  the 
Acropolis  at  Athens,  and  twelve  years  later  Athens  be- 
came the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Greece. 

Modern  Athens.       .  i  •  r^  -i  11  1 

At  that  time,  1834,  there  could  not  have 
been  more  than  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants  in  Athens.  At 
the  present,  the  population  cannot  be  less  than  two  hun- 
dred thousand. 

The  present  sovereign,  King  George,  is  beloved  and 
honored  by  his  people,  who  are  apparently  happy  and 
prosperous.  His  majesty  extended  a  courteous  invitation 
to  our  party  to  visit  his  royal  palace. 

Modern  Athens  lies  mainly  to  the  north  and  east  of  the 
Acropolis,  while  the  west  and  south  are  scarcely  built  up 
at  all. 

The  streets  are  well  laid  out,  and  the  stores  would  do 
credit  to  any  large,  progressive  European  city.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  city  is  modern  Greek,  and  one  who  has  a 
working  knowledge  of  Attic  Greek  has  but  little  trouble 
in  reading  the  newspapers  and  in  understanding  the  lan- 
guage of  the  present-day  Atheneans.  But  it  looked 
strange  enough  to  see  the  names  of  the  streets  spelled  out 
in  Greek  characters.     How  very  singular  did  it  seem  to 


74  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

look  up  and  find  that  you  were  walking  in  the  ''street  of 
Alexander  the  Great,"  "Thcmistocles,"  "Dionysius  the 
Areopagite,"  or  of  the  "Apostle  Paul." 

Of  course,  the  interest  of  the  devout  student  centres  in 
the  Acropolis  and  Mars'  Hill.  To  one  standing  on  the 
Acropolis,  the  splendid  ruins  of  the  magnificent  monu- 
ments of  ancient  Athens  are  inspiring  in  the  highest 
degree,  and  eloquent  of  the  glorious  past. 

As  I  stood  by  the  Temple  of  Victory,  beside  the 
A  Superb  Propylse,  at  sunset,  on  a  cloudless  evening, 

View.  aj-id  looked  toward  the  west,  this  glowing 

description  came  vividly  before  me: 

"Slow  sinks,  more  lovely  ere  his  race  be  run. 
Along  Morea's  hills  the  setting  sun; 
O'er  the  hushed  deep  the  yellow  beam  he  throws, 
Gilds  the  green  wave,  that  trembles  as  it  glows. 
On  old  ^gina's  rock  and  Idra's  isle, 
The  god  of  gladness  sheds  his  parting  smile; 
Descending  fast,  the  mountain  shadows  kiss 
The  glorious  gulf,  unconquered   Salamis! 
Till,  darkly  shaded  from  the  land  and  deep, 
Behind  his  Delphian  cliff  he  sinks  to  sleep." 

The  statue  of  Byron  is  of  great  interest  for  two  rea- 
sons: on  account  of  the  beautiful  poem,  "The  Maid  of 
Athens,"  and  also  for  its  pure  artistic  beauty. 

Before  leaving  the  city,  I  ascended  the  mountain  of 
Lykabettos,  crowned  by  the  monastery  of  St.  George. 
From  this  vantage  point  I  saw  the  ^gean  Sea,  Bay  of, 
Salamis,  Hymettos  (Honey)  Mountains,  Pentelikos, 
Parnes,  Hermes,  and,  away  to  the  west,  sixty  miles  dis- 
tant, the  Akro-Corinth. 

At  noon  we  had  an  elegant  lunch  at  the  Hotel  Bretagne. 
Also  we  had  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  at  the  residence  of 


ATHENS.  75 

Dr.  Kalopathakes,  a  native  Presbyterian  minister.  His 
charming  wife  was  a  native  of  Montreal.  After  another 
hard  day's  work  we  returned  to  the  Grosser  Kurfuerst. 

That  night  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kalopathakes  were  the  guests 
of  the  ship.  During  the  evening  we  enjoyed  a  most  inter- 
esting and  instructive  address,  on  the  work  of  Protestant 
missions  in  Greece,  from  the  venerable  Doctor. 

With  possibly  a  half  dozen  exceptions,  the  cruisers 
made  the  pilgrimage  to  the  Areopagus,  when  Mars'  Hill 
was  covered  with  devout  worshippers.  A 
fine  sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  John  Potts, 
of  Toronto,  on  Acts  xvii.  i8.  His  theme  was  "Jesus  and 
the  Resurrection."  Mr.  Jacobs,  of  New  York,  led  the 
chorus,  and  Dr.  Gates,  president  of  the  Robert  College, 
Constantinople,  read  in  concert  with  all  the  people,  the 
latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Acts.  Prayer 
was  offered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Lowden,  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  the  benediction  was  pronounced  by  the  writer.  Be- 
sides the  one  thousand  from  the  ship,  there  were  hun- 
dreds of  native  Christians  present  on  that  memorable  oc- 
casion. The  service  was  very  simple,  solemn  and  impres- 
sive. We  could  but  picture  the  intrepid  Paul,  as  he  stood 
before  the  Supreme  Court  of  Athens,  "in  the  midst  of  . 
Mars'  Hill,"  and  pronounced  that  matchless  defence  of 
the  cardinal  principles  of  his  stalwart  faith. 

We  returned  to  the  Kurfuerst  for  late  lunch.  There 
was  no  session  of  the  cruise  Sabbath-school  that  after- 
noon. When  supper  was  over,  Dr.  Gates,  with  the  Dean 
of  the  American  College  for  Girls,  in  Scutari,  and  others, 
addressed  the  cruisers  on  the  educational  interests  of  the 
American  Board  of  Missions.  This  proved  to  be  a  de- 
lightful meeting.  I  was  overwhelmed  by  my  visit  to  the 
classic  city.     I  found  the  people  exceedingly  polite.     It 


76  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

was  a  wonderful  privilege  to  have  been  permitted  to  visit 
the  ancient  city,  that  produced  more  great  men,  within 
a  generation,  than  all  the  rest  of  the  world  did,  in  the 
same  period.  What  breaks  the  heart  of  the  lovers  of 
culture  and  art  is  the  universal  desecration  of  that  which 
was  so  sacred  to  the  Greeks,  and  which  represented  the 
best  thought  of  the  palmiest  days  of  Athens. 

After  a  delightful  sail  out  of  the  Piraeus  harbor,  and 
the  last,  lingering  look  at  the  receding  Parthenon  and 
Minerva's  Mount,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  nearer  view  of 
Salamis  and  the  ^^gean.  I  stood  for  hours  on  the  prow 
of  the  vessel,  and  feasted  my  eyes  upon  the  scenes  on  each 
coast,  as  we  sailed  majestically  along.  We  could  see, 
around  the  point  of  land  to  our  left,  the  battle-ground  of 
Marathon,  where  the  Greeks  and  Persians  met  in  mortal 
combat. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Constantinople. 

FROM  Athens  to  Constantinople,  the  countries  between 
which  we  sailed,  were  so  full  of  historic  interest  that 
one  seemed  to  be  living  in  past  ages.  The  geographical 
features  that  were  most  prominent  were  the  Hellespont 
(or  Dardanelles)  and  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  The  surface 
of  this  sea  was  as  smooth  as  marble,  to  which  fact  it  owes 
its  name.  A  few  miles  out  from  Constantinople  we  met 
the  Kaiserin  Maria  Theresa,  and  marconigraphed  a  mes- 
sage, while  that  companion  ship  circled  to  greet  us.  She 
was  beautifully  decorated  in  our  honor. 

Constantinople  was  made  the  metropolis  of  the  Roman 
Empire  in  the  year  330  A.  D.,  by  the  first  Christian 
Emperor. 

The  new  capital  consisted  in  the  enlargement,  fortifica- 
New  Rome.  tiou  and  adommcnt  of  the  ancient  city  of 
Byzantium,  a  Grecian  city,  founded  by  emigrants  from 
Megara  in  66y  B.  C. 

From  this  it  will  appear  that  Byzantium  was  one  thou- 
sand years  old  before  its  name  was  changed  to  Con- 
stantinople. 

In  the  "City  of  Constantine"  four  of  the  general  coun- 
cils of  the  church  were  held — 381,  553,  681  and  869 
A.  D. 

Since  1447  this  has  been  a  Mohammedan  city. 

The  geographical  position  of  the  Capital  of  the  Otto- 
man Empire  is  unsurpassed  in  the  world. 

UnrivaUed  Site.     ^.  ,      ,       t-.  ,       -t-n        i  ^^  < 

Ihrough  the  Bosporus,  the  Dardanelles,  the 


78  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Straits  of  Gibraltar  and  the  Suez  Canal,  it  commands 
every  sea,  and  has  access  to  every  country  on  the  globe. 

If  the  City  on  the  Golden  Horn  were  in  the  hands  of 
Anglo-Saxons,  it  would  be  to-day  the  metropolis  of  the 
world. 

The  view  of  the  "Sublime  Porte,"  as  we  approached 
in  the  bright  light  of  the  afternoon,  was  indescribable.  The 
mosques  and  minarets,  the  Tower  of  Seraskerat,  and  the 
old  walls  of  the  city,  with  their  seven  towers,  were  among 
the  most  prominent  objects  in  the  extended  prospect 
spread  out  before  us. 

The  city  of  Constantine  comprises  about  one  million, 
though  it  is  very  diiBcult  to  find  out,  even  approximately, 
the  population  of  any  city  in  the  Ottoman  Empire. 
Greater  Constantinople  embraces  Stamboul,  south  of  the 
Golden  Horn,  Galata-Pera,  north  of  this  arm  of  the  sea, 
and  Scutari,  just  opposite,  on  the  Asiatic  shore.  Stam- 
boul is  the  ancient  city.  The  chief  city  of  Turkey  is 
located  at  the  meeting  of  the  Bosporus  and  the  Golden 
Horn  with  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 

At  seven  in  the  evening  we  made  fast  to  the  dock  on 
the  Galata  side,  a  few  hundred  yards  from  Galata 
pontoon  bridge.  Old  Stamboul,  called  by  Constantine 
"New  Rome,"  was  built  upon  seven  hills,  like  the  city  of 
Romulus.  The  sight  of  the  thousands  that  were  on  the 
quay  to  see  us  enter  port  was  a  novel  one.  The  red  fez 
on  the  head  of  four-fifths  of  the  men  presented  the  picture 
of  a  garden  of  deep  red  poppies  after  sunset. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  we  had  to  hand  in  our  passports 
for  inspection,  we  could  not  land  till  next  day.  After  a 
night-long  serenade  by  the  town  pets,  the  pariah  dogs, 
we  welcomed  the  day.  With  three  of  the  party,  I  started 
in  a  carriage,  early,  to  see  the  sights.    During  the  morn- 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  79 

ing  we  visited  the  great  Santa  Sophia  Mosque,  once  a 
Christian  church.    Thence  we  drove  to  the 

Seraglio  Point.  ,  .-.,,-,. 

treasury,  where  we  saw  an  inlaid  rersian 
throne,  set  with  rubies  and  emeralds,  captured  from 
Ismael,  the  Shah  of  Persia,  by  Sultan  Selim  I.,  in  1514. 
Also,  we  saw  a  fine  collection  of  Turkish  arms  and  armor. 

Upstairs  is  the  throne  of  Sultan  Ahmed  III.,  made  of 
precious  wood,  inlaid  with  tortoise  shell,  and  set  with 
turquoises  and  a  large  emerald.  This  is  an  exquisite 
specimen  of  early  Turkish  art.  There,  too,  we  saw  the 
state  robes  and  aigretted  turbans  worn  by  various  Sultans, 
from  Mohammed  II.  to  Mahmud,  the  Reformer.  There 
is,  sitting  in  one  of  the  glass  cases,  an  Egyptian  figure, 
made  out  of  a  single  pearl.  Here  we  saw  the  Throne 
Hall,  the  throne  being  a  large  divan. 

In  the  Royal  Library,  next  to  the  Throne  Hall,  we  were 
entertained,  by  order  of  the  Sultan,  with  Turkish  coffee, 
rose  jelly  and  wafers. 

From  there  we  went  to  Bagdad  Kiosk,  to  which  the 
Sultan  comes  to  worship  at  the  shrine  of  the  Prophet's 
cloak.  The  style  of  this  palace  is  after  the  model  of  one 
in  Bagdad.  Its  wahs  are  artistically  decorated  with  blue 
tiles,  of  the  best  workmanship,  and  the  inside  of  the 
cupola  is  covered  with  deerskin.  The  inlaid  mother-of- 
pearl  arabesques  on  the  doors,  divans  and  chairs  are  worth 
a  visit.  Bagdad  Kiosk,  standing  on  Seraglio  Point,  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  harbor,  Galata  and  Pera. 

We  next  visited  the  Imperial  palace,  the  finest  of  all 
the  places  of  residence  of  the  Sultan.  There  was  a  mag- 
nificence about  the  royal  mansion  that  could  be  equalled 
only  by  the  lavish  richness  of  the  Treasury.  The  bath- 
rooms were  of  Egyptian  alabaster,  and  the  cost  of  con- 
struction was  fabulous. 


8o  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Other  features  of  this  great  building  that  should  be 
mentioned  are  the  inlaid  work  in  the  floors  and  ceilings, 
the  exquisitely  wrought  silk  curtains,  the  frescoes,  the 
crystal  chandeliers,  and  the  Throne  Room,  with  its 
Corinthian  columns.  The  arched  gateways  were  magnifi- 
cent, and  the  garden  faultlessly  kept. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  across  the  Galata  Bridge  to 
the  Hippodrome,  in  which  is  to  be  seen  the  Serpent 
Column.  This  monument  is  composed  of  three  bronze 
serpents,  standing  on  their  tails,  and  twisted  spirally 
around  each  other.  This  column  originally  served  as  a 
stand  for  the  golden  tripod  of  Pythia,  the  High-priestess 
of  Apollo,  at  the  Oracle  of  Delphi.  In  this  Forum  stands 
the  Obelisk  of  Theodosius  the  Great,  a  monolith  sixty-one 
feet  in  height  and  six  feet  square.  This  was  brought  from 
the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  at  Heliopolis,  Egypt,  where  it  was 
erected  by  Thotmes  III.,  1600  B.  C.  A  third  monument 
in  the  Hippodrome  is  the  Colossus,  or  Built  Column,  an 
obelisk  of  masonry,  ninety-four  feet  in  height.  The 
Porphyry,  or  Burnt  Column,  was  originally  one  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  high,  but  is  at  present  only  ninety  feet  in 
height.  It  is  composed  of  six  blocks  of  porphyry,  so 
cleverly  joined  as  to  look  like  a  monolith.  It  formerly 
supported  a  bronze  statue  of  Apollo.  This  column,  with 
the  statue,  was  brought  from  Rome. 

We  dismissed  our  driver  at  the  Hippodrome,  and 
walked  through   the  bazaars  back   to  the  boat.     After 

Moonlight         suppcr  wc  wcut  out  to  scc  the  city  by  the 
Tramp.  light  of  the  moou.     There  are  no  electric 

lights  or  telephones  anywhere  in  the  domain  of  the  Sultan. 
We  had  a  memorable  walk,  among  the  people  and  around 
the  dogs,  for  these  pariahs,  being  the  proteges  of  the  city, 
never  give  themselves  the  trouble  to  move  out  of  your 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  8i 

way.  These  dogs  are  sacred  to  the  people  of  Constan- 
tinople. In  340  B.  C.  Philip  of  Macedon  laid  siege  to  the 
city.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  effect  an  entrance,  through 
subterranean  passages,  the  dogs,  aroused  by  the  rising  of 
the  new  moon,  began  to  bark.  This  awakened  the  sleep- 
ing garrison,  and  saved  the  city  from  the  surprise  of  the 
Macedonians.  From  that  time  no  dog,  however  worthless 
and  unattractive,  has  ever  been  struck  or  kicked  out  of 
Symbol  of         the   way  by  an   inhabitant.     Visitors   are 

Empire.  scrupulous  in  the  respect  paid  by  them  to 

these  mangy  citizens.  This  historic  fact  is  also  the  origin 
of  the  adoption  of  the  crescent  and  star  as  the  emblem 
of  the  Byzantines,  and  afterwards  of  the  Turks. 

While  we  were  in  port  the  evenings  were  occupied  with 
addresses  on  Constantinople  by  Dr.  Van  Millingen,  of 
Robert  College,  and  the  Hon.  Mr.  Dickinson,  United 
States  Counsul-General  to  Constantinople.  Practically  the 
freedom  of  the  city  had  been  officially  presented  to  us  by 
the  Sultan.  Unusual  privileges,  on  that  account,  were 
enjoyed  by  us.  Again  we  were  serenaded  by  the  pariahs, 
and  again  we  endeavored  to  feel  quite  refreshed  on  rising 
to  begin  the  next  day. 

We  attended  three  splendid  excursions:  to  Robert 
College,  to  the  American  College  for  Girls,  in  Scutari, 
Asiatic  Constantinople,  and  up  the  Golden  Horn  to  the 
"Sweet  Waters  of  Europe."  I  accepted  the  last  only,  and, 
on  the  steamer  John,  made  the  delightful  sail.  The 
Golden  Horn  derives  its  name  from  its  resemblance  to  a 
ram's  horn.  This  arm  of  the  Bosporus  is  six  miles  in 
length,  with  an  average  width  of  four  hundred  and  ninety 
yards  and  a  mean  depth  of  twenty-three  fathoms.  The 
"Sweet  Waters  of  Europe"  are  at  the  confluence  of  two 
small  streams,  the  Kedaris  and  the  Vorvisses,  and  are 


82  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

so  named  because  their  waters  are  fresh,  in  contrast  with 
the  salt  waters  of  the  Bosporus  and  Golden  Horn. 

On  disembarking  at  Galata  Bridge,  Gongaware  and  I 
went  to  visit  the  bazaars.     That  was  a  rich  treat.     Any 

Oriental  Shops,  and  everything  was  to  be  found  in  that  end- 
less labyrinth  of  market  and  manufacture.  It  is  here 
that  you  see  a  certain  important  side  of  life.  From  that 
district  we  found  our  way  to  the  highest  structure  in  the 
capital  of  Turkey,  Seraskerat  Tower.    At  the  top  we  were 

Bird's  Eye        tewardcd   with   a   panoramic   view   of   the 
View.  Marmora,  the  Bosporus,  the  Golden  Horn, 

Scutari,  Stamboul,  Galata  and  Pera.  From  that  tower 
a  definite  idea  of  the  character  of  the  surface,  both  on 
the  European  and  Asiatic  sides,  can  be  obtained.  Here, 
too,  after  having  been  in  the  city  long  enough  to  get  a 
general  notion  of  it,  one  could  locate,  with  tolerable  satis- 
faction, the  places  of  greatest  interest.  We  climbed  down, 
and  next  visited  the  cistern  of  Philoxenus,  or  the  "Cistern 
of  a  Thousand  and  One  Columns."  This  cistern  was  used 
by  the  people  hundreds  of  years  ago — for  Stamboul  was 
founded  several  centuries  before  Christ. 

Then  we  went  to  the  "Imperial  Museum  of  Antiqui- 
ties." Here  we  saw  some  remarkable  exhibits.  Among 
them  might  be  mentioned  the  tomb  of  one  of  Alexander 
the  Great's  generals.  But  the  most  beautiful  of  all  is 
that  of  the  "Mourners."  This  is  a  marble  sarcophagus, 
ornamented  with  relief  figures,  representing  the  mourning 
woman,  in  eighteen  diflferent  postures.  I  have  never  seen 
anything  more  chaste  and  true  to  nature.  You  can  find 
no  fault  with  either  the  conception  or  the  execution. 
There,  also,  are  statues  of  Apollo,  Venus,  Samson, 
Achilles,  Jupiter,  Mars  and  Hercules.  Some  of  the  oldest 
inscriptions  to  be  found  in  the  world  are  here.    Many  of 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  .        83 

those  noble  fragments  were  brought  by  the  Turks  from 
Athens,  some  from  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  many  from 
Egypt.  From  the  Museum  we  proceeded  to  the  "Sublime 
Porte."  This  gate  was  erected  by  Mohammed  II.,  and 
was  the  principal  entrance  through  the  wall  into  the 
Seraglio.  From  this  gate  the  capital  of  the  Ottoman  Em- 
pire derives  its  name. 

That  afternoon  I  spent  in  walking  through  the  bazaars 
and  side  streets  of  Pera  and  Galata,  and  also  on  the 
•European.  ''Grande  Rue  de  Pera,"  the  Fifth  avenue  of 
Constantinople.  Standing  at  one  corner,  I  counted  forty- 
five  pariah  dogs,  and  it  was  not  a  very  good  corner  for 
dogs,  either.  These  citizens  are  the  scavengers  of  the 
city,  and  resemble  coyotes  more  than  anything  else  that  I 
have  seen. 

Nothing  interested  me  more  than  the  buffaloes  and 
"cataloes,"  which  they  use  as  oxen.  There  is  a  fine  strain 
of  Arabian  blood  in  the  horses  of  the  city. 

In  the  evening  we  had  another  lecture  on  Constanti- 
nople, by  Attorney  Pens,  the  able  historian.  This  was  a 
masterful  address,  and  was  fully  appreciated  by  all  who 
had  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  visit  to  this  great,  historic 
city. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Smyrna  and  Ephesus. 

THURSDAY  morning  we  were  off  by  seven  o'clock 
sharp.  We  went  up  the  Bosporus  to  the  Black  Sea. 
As  we  passed  Robert  College,  both  going  and  coming, 
all  the  faculty  and  students  were  out  to  greet  us.  The 
great  flag  on  the  mast  at  the  college  dipped  in  our  honor, 
and  our  whistle  blew  three  deafening  blasts  in  response. 
All  the  American  flags  that  we  could  command  were  put 
into  use.  Those  who  did  not  have  flags  used  handker- 
chiefs ;  also,  the  College  people  waved  everything  from 
a  handkerchief  to  a  red  blanket.     It  was  a  great  ovation. 

The  sail  through  the  Bosporus  is  interesting,  from  the 
points  of  view  of  natural  beauty  and  history.  The  strait 
A  Trip  to  the       is  nineteen  miles  long ;  its  greatest  width 

Euxine.  ig  two  and  one-fifth  miles ;  its  narrowest, 

eight  hundred  and  ten  yards.  The  depth  of  water  varies 
from  twenty  to  sixty-six  fathoms.  Its  direction  is  NNE. 
to  SSW.  The  current  sets  steadily  from  the  Black  Sea 
to  the  Marmora,  while  an  undercurrent  is  setting  in  the 
opposite  direction.  The  average  speed  of  the  current  is 
four  knots  an  hour.  Bosporus  derives  its  name  from  a 
Greek  term,  meaning  ox-passage.  This  had  its  origin  in 
mythology,  where  lo,  changed  by  Jupiter  into  a  heifer, 
swam  across  these  straits.  The  Bosporus  is  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  places  on  the  globe,  and  is  a  succession 
of  woodland,  hill  and  dale,  covered  with  villages,  reaching 
down  to  the  water's  edge,  and  dotted  with  white  marble 
palaces,  situated  among  groves  of  trees,  and  surrounded 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  85 

with  gardens.  The  most  important  of  these  palaces  is 
the  Yildiz  Kiosk,  where  the  present  Sultan  resides.  This 
Kiosk  is  surrounded  by  barracks,  where  a  large  force  of 
Imperial  Guards  are  quartered.  Just  above  Robert  Col- 
lege is  the  place  where  Darius  transported  his  forces  into 
Europe  on  a  pontoon  bridge.  We  sailed  for  some  dis- 
tance into  the  Black  Sea,  but  not  far  enough  to  be  within 
range  of  the  guns  of  the  Russian  fleet ! 

On  returning  to  Constantinople,  our  guides  bade  us 
farewell  and  left  the  ship.  The  pilot  had  to  stay  on  board 
while  we  were  in  the  Marmora,  and  till  we  reached  the 
fortifications  in  the  Hellespont,  where  seven  Turkish  men- 
of-war  lay  at  anchor.  There  Xerxes,  in  480  B.  C,  put 
his  array  across  into  Europe,  and  Alexander  the  Great, 
in  334  B.  C,  his  army  into  Asia,  by  means  of  pontoon 
bridges,  reaching  from  Sestos,  in  Europe,  to  Abydos,  on 
the  Asiatic  side.  Here  young  Leander  nightly  swam 
across  to  visit  Hero — a  feat  performed  in  modern  times 
by  Lord  Byron,  for  "glory." 

The  Dardanelles  is  a  narrow  channel,  separating 
Europe  from  Asia,  and  uniting  the  Sea  of  Marmora  with 
the  Grecian  Archipelago.  Its  length  is  forty  miles,  and 
its  breadth  varies  from  one  to  four  miles.  From  the  Mar- 
mora a   strong  current   runs  throug-h  the 

Strategic  Pass.  .  ,         .       ,  •       ,  ^,       .r-. 

strait  to  the  Archipelago.  The  Dardanelles 
is  the  key  which  the  Turk  holds  against  Russia  and  all 
the  nations  of  Western  Europe.  The  strait  is  strongly 
fortified,  both  on  the  European  and  Asiatic  shores,  with 
many  guns  of  immense  calibre.  No  vessel  can  pass  this 
stronghold  without  the  consent  of  the  Sultan. 

Just  outside  the  Narrows,  on  the  Asiatic  side,  is  the 
site  of  ancient  Troy.  There,  at  "Troas,"  Paul  had  the 
vision,  and  heard  the  voice  calling  him  to  go  to  Mace- 
donia to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles. 


86  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

At  845,  President  McLaughlin,  of  the  "International 
College"  at  Smyrna,  adressed  us- on  "The  History  of 
the  Group  of  the  seven  Churches  in  Asia," 
Missions  to  the  ^yith  Special  reference  to  the  missionary 
work  that  is  being  done  by  himself  and  his 
colleagues  in  Asia  Minor.  This  mission  is  a  most  suc- 
cessful one.  A  handsome  offering  was  made  by  the 
cruisers  in  support  of  this  work. 

At  seven  the  next  morning  we  anchored  in  Smyrna 
harbor,  and  by  nine  we  were  seated  in  the  tram-cars  on 
the  quay,  for  the  Ottoman  railway  station,  a  mile  away. 
TheCayster  About  six  hundred  of  the  pilgrims  took  the 

Valley.  sidc-trip    to    Ephesus,    fifty    miles    distant. 

Soon  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  city  of  ancient  Ephesus, 
on  the  south.  The  road  is  a  most  delightful  one.  Beau- 
tiful, rugged,  abrupt  mountains  and  fertile  valleys  are 
to  be  seen  on  each  side  of  the  railway.  Hundreds  of 
flocks  of  fat-tailed  Syrian  sheep,  with  their  cloaked  Ara- 
bian shepherds,  were  a  source  of  constant  pleasure.  The 
black  water-buffaloes,  the  camel  trains,  and  the  storks, 
were  entirely  new  to  us.  The  stork  is  white,  except  as 
to  its  wings,  which  are  black.  Its  beak  and  legs  are  red 
and  long.  The  fig  and  olive  orchards,  the  ancient  plow, 
with  one  handle,  the  oxen  plowing — all  pointed  to  the 
classic  and  historic  past.  Intensive  farming  is  by  no 
means  a  modern  enterprise,  for  it  was  practiced  in  this 
fertile  region  millenniums  ago,  as  is  evinced  by  the  his- 
tory and  poetry  of  the  ancients.  In  the  writings  of  Homer 
the  Cayster  Valley  is  mentioned. 

We  left  the  train  at  Ayasaluk,  the  modern  name  for 

Ephesus.    This  term  is  a  Turkish  translation  of  the  Greek 

The  City  of       Hagios     Thcologos,     "Holy     Theologian," 

St. John.         ti^ie  name  given  to  the  Apostle  John,  who 


SMYRNA  AND  EPHESUS.  87 

resfded  and  preached  in  this  ancient  metropohs  of  Asia 
Minor. 

With  our  guide  we  went  first  to  the  old  aqueduct,  mag- 
nificent in  its  ruins.  Nothing  remains  standing  but  the 
great  pillars  and  fragments  of  the  channel  that  conveyed 
the  water.  Upon  the  tops  of  these  ruins  the  storks  have 
built  their  huge  nests  of  sticks.  These  interesting  birds 
stand,  sometimes  on  one  foot,  sometimes  on  two,  as  sober, 
solemn  sentinels.  Next,  we  were  shown  one  of  the 
churches  of  St.  John.  There  were  several  Christian  or- 
ganizations in  the  city,  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians 
was  to  the  entire  body  of  believers  in  that  place.  The 
ruins  show  the  splendid  character  of  the  church,  while 
evidences  of  earthquakes  are  abundant.  Thence  we 
walked  to  the  Roman  Citadel,  on  the  Acropolis.  A  walk 
of  a  half  mile  led  us  to  the  ruins  of  the  Mosque  of  Sultan 
Selim,  where  there  are  two  columns  from  the  Temple  of 
Diana.  A  gigantic  fig-tree  fills  one  of  the  apartments,  and 
stretches  its  long  arms  over  the  high  walls.  This  is  one 
of  the  historic  places  of  worship  of  the  Mohammedans, 
and  has  been  in  ruins  about  a  thousand  years.  From 
there  we  went  to  visit  an  ancient  Turkish  bath. 

Next  we  visited  one  of  the  "Seven  Wonders  of  the 
Greatest  Greek     World,"  the  Temple  of  Diana.    The  temple 

Temple.  had  One  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pillars, 
and  was  first  destroyed  in  the  year  658  B.  C.  Until 
recently  it  was  buried  some  thirty  feet  below  the  surface 
by  the  accumulated  debris  of  the  centuries.  The  work  of 
excavation  is  still  being  prosecuted.  The  incomparable 
splendor  of  this  structure  is  revealed  in  the  fluted  columns 
of  marble,  the  exquisitely  carved  capitals,  architraves  and 
pediments. 

The  Temple  of  Serapis  was  the  next  object  of  our 
sight-seeing.     This  shows  the  Egyptian  origin  of  many 


88  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

of  the  ancient  Ephesians.  Near  by  is  the  sea-gate.  Ephe- 
sus  was  built  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Cayster,  and  was 
once  the  chief  seaport  of  Asia  Minor.  By  the  sihing  of 
the  Cayster  the  shore-Hne  has  been  removed  six  miles 
to  the  west.  You  can  hardly  believe  your  eyes  when  you 
stand  on  the  old  quay,  and  look  at  the  broad  marsh,  which 
was  once  the  harbor  of  Ephesus.  On  the  top  of  the  sea- 
gate  was  the  Roman  palace.  Close  to  this  was  the 
Stadium,  and  a  little  further  on,  the  gate  of  the  old  city 
came  into  view.  Then,  away  up  to  the  west,  was  the 
prison  of  St.  Paul,  crowning  the  summit  of  the  hill.  We 
passed  the  Gymnasium  and  Baptistery  on  the  way  to  the 
Theatre  of  Ephesus.  Here  Paul  encoun- 
tered a  tumult,  which  was  raised  by  Demet- 
rius, the  contractor  for  silver  shrines,  or  images  of  the 
moon-goddess,  "which  fell  down  from  Jupiter."  The 
statue  of  Diana  stood  in  the  great  temple  erected  for  her 
worship.  The  grasp  which  the  worship  of  Diana  had 
upon  the  Ephesians  is  manifested  by  the  outcry,  "Great 
is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,"  which  lasted  for  two  hours. 
The  Theatre  is  a  wreck  of  extraordinary  grandeur. 

Two  great  roads  run  at  right  angles  here,  the  main  one 
leading  up  to  the  gate  of  the  Theatre.  Just  outside  the 
Service  in  Theatre,  at  their  junction,  lie  the  ruins  of 

Theatre.  the  aucicut  Forum.  After  lunching  in  the 
Forum,  we  attended  a  brief  service,  held  in  the  Theatre. 
As  you  might  anticipate,  the  principal  part  of  that  service 
was  the  reading  of  Acts  xix.  21-41.  No  description  could 
do  justice  to  the  glory  of  the  ruins  of  these  colossal  struc- 
tures of  the  ages  long  past. 

Ephesus  was  the  centre  of  apostolic  influence  and  labor. 
Not  only  did  St.  John  minister  here,  but  also  Paul,  Timo- 
thy, and  Apollos,  a  man  of  eloquence  and  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures,  preached  the  gospel  to  the  Ephesians.     Here, 


SMYRNA  AND  EPEHESUS.  89 

also,  Aquila  and  Priscilla  lived,  becoming  the  centre  of  a 
circle  of  Christian  converts. 

Tradition  tells  us  that  Mary  Magdalene,  Mary  the 
Mother  of  Jesus,  and  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  ended 
their  days  there. 

In  431  A.  D.  the  Third  Oecumenical  Council  of  the 
Christian  Church  was  held  in  Ephesus. 

When  we  had  exhausted  our  time  we  hurried  to  the 
station,  where  we  took  the  cars  for  Smyrna.  After  a 
charming  return  trip  we  left  the  train  at  the 
Caravan  Bridge  station,  and  began  a  terrific 
climb  to  the  Acropolis,  the  summit  of  Mount  Pagus. 
There  are  the  ruins  of  the  old  Roman  Fort.  Under  the 
citadel  I  explored  the  spacious  tunnels,  chambers,  and 
magazines,  where  military  provisions  were  stored.  Their 
system  of  water  works  was  most  complete. 

From  this  height  I  had  an  ideal  view  of  the  city  of 
three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  the  fine  harbor,  and 
the  mountains  lying  to  the  north,  east  and  south.  Thence 
we  passed  down  the  southwest  slope  to  the  tomb  of  Poly- 
carp,  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  old  Stadium.  At  this 
grave  stands  a  tall  cypress  to  keep  guard  over  the  dust 
of  this  venerable  Christian  hero,  the  first  of  the  apostolic 
fathers  to  give  up  his  life  rather  than  deny  his  Lord. 
In  the  Stadium,  near  at  hand,  when  given  his  choice  of 
recantation  or  death,  he  cheerfully  chose  the  latter,  with 
the  triumphant  words :  "Eighty  and  six  years  have  I 
served  him,  and  he  never  did  me  any  harm.  I  therefore 
will  not  deny  him  now."  Immediately  the  fires  were 
lighted,  and  the  faithful  servant  went  to  receive  a  martyr's 
crown.  The  time-honored  proverb,  "The  blood  of  the 
martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church,"  is  abundantly  verified 
in  the  translation  of  this  fearless  witness. 


90  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

From  the  Stadium  we  descended,  passing  by  the  Ceme- 
tery, and  through  the  bazaars  to  the  landing,  where  we 
boarded  the  tender  for  the  ship. 

Smyrna,  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  important  cities 
of  Asia  Minor,  is  the  only  one  of  the  Greek  cities,  on  the 
western  coast,  which  has  retained  its  name  and  import- 
ance, to  the  present  day.  This  city  claims  the  honor  of  be- 
ing the  birthplace  of  Homer;  and  here  a  grotto  is  shown 
near  the  source  of  the  river  Meles,  where  his  poems  are 
said  to  have  been  composed.  The  city  has  an  excellent 
harbor,  and  from  its  admirable  situation,  has  always  been 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  in  the  world. 

In  the  early  history  of  Christianity,  Smyrna  holds  an 
important  place  as  one  of  the  seven  churches  addressed 
in  the  Apocalypse.  One  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens 
of  its  history  was  its  first  bishop,  the  sainted  Polycarp, 
a  pupil  of  John  the  Divine.  Its  population  is  composed 
of  Turks,  Greeks,  Arabians,  Hebrews,  Armenians,  and 
Religions.  Franks.    Each  nationality  occupies  its  own 

separate  quarter.  The  Greeks,  Armenians,  Roman  Catho- 
lics and  Protestants,  respectively,  have  important  missions 
here,  while  the  Mohammedan  mosques  number  about 
forty.  Smyrna's  trade  is  chiefly  with  the  Europeans  and 
Americans.  While  we  were  there,  representatives  of 
American  merchant  princes  were  selecting  and  ordering 
shiploads  of  the  world-renowned  rugs,  carpets,  tapestries 
and  silks. 

It  will  no  doubt  be  a  matter  of  interest  to  learn  that 
the  weeping  willow  originally  came  from  Asia  Minor. 
The  seeds  were  first  carried  to  England  with  the  celebrated 
Smyrna  figs,  and  thence  to  America,  by  British  merchant- 
men. This  modern  metropolis  is  charmingly  located 
on  the  Gulf  of  Smyrna,  an  inlet  of  the  yEgean 
Sea. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Patmos,  Rhodes,  and  Baalbek. 

AT  eleven  o'clock  that  night  we  sailed  out  of  the  har- 
bor, on  our  way  to  Syria.  The  next  morning 
dawned  auspiciously,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  the  Gre- 
cian Archipelago.  About  eight  o'clock  we  sailed  past  the 
Isle  of  Patmos,  to  which  the  Beloved  Disciple  was  ban- 
ished for  his  loyalty  to  his  Master.  The 
^^fn^Exiie  "^^^  only  placc  in  Scripture  where  Patmos  is 
mentioned  is  Rev.  i.  9,  'T  John,  who  am 
also  your  brother  and  companion  in  tribulation  and  in  the 
kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  in  the  island 
that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  Word  of  God  and  for  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  This  small,  rocky  island  is 
about  thirty  miles  in  circumference.  It  was  there  that 
the  apostle  had  the  Apocalyptic  vision,  a  record  of  which 
gives  us  the  Book  of  Revelation.  This  circumstance  has 
invested  this  island  with  exceptional  interest.  Not  only 
has  it  been  for  ages  occupied  by  a  colony  of  monks,  but 
it  has  been  much  visited  by  travellers  since  the  involun- 
tary residence  there  of  this  distinguished  exile. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  we  sighted  the  Island  of  Rhodes. 
This  celebrated  island  of  the  Mediterranean  is  thirty-six 
miles  long,  from  Cape  San  Antonio  on  the  north  to  Cape 
Tranquillo  on  the  south.  A  chain  of  hills  runs  the  whole 
length  of  Rhodes,  forming  what  might  be  called  the 
"backbone"  of  the  island.  The  capital  is  a  city  bearing 
the  same  name. 

Ancient  Rhodes  boasted  of  a  gigantic  brazen  statue  of 


92  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Helios,  seventy  cubits  high,  known  as  the  Colossus  of 
Rhodes,  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the 

Site  of  Colossus. 

world.  The  colossus  bestrode  a  deep-water 
channel,  through  which  the  largest  sea-going  vessels 
passed  into  and  out  of  the  harbor.  Only  the  foundations 
upon  which  the  Colossus  stood  remain  to  remind  us  of 
this  prodigious  figure,  consecrated  to  the  sun  in  280  B.  C. 

Here  the  Knights  of  St.  John  battled  with  the  Turks 
until  they  were  driven  to  Malta,  where,  after  the  most 
desperate  conflict,  their  triumph  was  so  complete  that  to- 
day there  is  not  a  Mohammedan  found  on  the  island. 

Our  good  captain  sailed  near  to  the  city  of  Rhodes, 
and  for  an  hour  we  had  the  very  great  pleasure  of  observ- 
ing that  historic  spot.  At  this  place  our  attention  was 
divided,  for  while  we  were  beckoned  to  by  Rhodes  on 
the  right,  the  great  snow-capped  Taurus  Mountains,  in 
Asia  Minor,  lifted  themselves,  and  lay,  stretched  for  miles, 
on  our  left.  The  highest  peaks  of  the  Taurus  range  reach 
an  elevation  of  ten  to  twelve  thousand  feet.  This  was  a 
grand  sight — one  that  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  any 
of  us. 

All  day  long  we  had  been  sailing  through  bewitching 
islands,  some  of  which  are  very  rocky  and  rugged,  while 
others  are  green  and  fertile,  with  many  inhabitants  along 
the  shores.  I  noticed  that  mosques  and  minarets  were 
very  numerous  in  the  city  of  Rhodes.  No  Christian  or 
Jew  is  allowed  to  spend  the  night  there.  There  is  a 
suburban  quarter  there  which  is  occupied  by  non-Moham- 
medans. Saturday  night  an  address  on  Beyrout,  Damas- 
cus and  Baalbek  was  delivered  by  Dr.  Hoskins,  of  the 
Syrian  mission.  This  interesting  and  instructive  dis- 
course revealed  the  fact  that  Beyrout  is  the  sixth  largest 
city  in  the  Moslem  world,  and  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
Mediterranean  cities. 


PATMOS,  RHODES  AND  BAALBEK.   93 

Damascus  is  the  most  beautiful  city  in  the  Levant,  and 
boasts  of  forty  centuries,  while  Baalbek 
dates  two  centuries  further  back  still.  The 
religions  peculiar  to  Syria  are  the  Maronite,  the  Ishmael- 
ite,  the  Cyrenian,  that  of  the  Druses,  and  the  ten  sects 
of  the  Christian  faith:  Greek,  Armenian,  Chaldean, 
Syrian  and  Coptic — each  of  the  above  five  having  an 
Orthodox  and  a  Catholic  branch. 

The  Bible  work  of  the  Syrian  mission  is  the  principal 
feature  of  the  Christian  work  there.  They  turn  out  one 
thousand  copies  per  week,  and  have  orders  for  two  years 
ahead.  Their  immediate  need  was  another  press.  An 
ofifering  was  made,  amounting  to  the  sum  required  to 
make  the  purchase.  The  Beyrout  mission,  therefore, 
stands  to-day  on  a  very  satisfactory  footing. 

From  Madeira  we  had  the  privilege  of  observing 
Foreign  Missions  at  close  range.  There  is  nothing  like 
studying  missions  on  mission  ground.  After  all,  the 
wants  of  men  are  one,  and  the  one  thing  that  the  world 
needs,  is  the  gospel. 

The   Sabbath   dawned  bright  and  glorious — an  ideal 

Easter.    We  sailed  leisurely  on  a  perfectly  quiet  sea.    At 

the  hour  for  morning  worship  we  listened 

Easter  at  Sea.  i         -i-v  a  11 

to  an  excellent  sermon  by  Dr.  Allen,  of 
Toledo.  His  text  was  2  Tim.  ii.  8.  The  Sabbath-school 
assembled  at  the  usual  hour  in  the  afternoon.  The  sub- 
ject was  the  "Resurrection  of  Christ." 

During  the  afternoon  we  passed  the  island  of  Cyprus, 
on  the  left.  Clad  in  snow,  the  elevated  range  of  Olympus 
(the  highest  point  of  which  is  7,000  feet)  runs  through 
the  entire  length  of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles.  Cyprus 
was  so  celebrated  for  its  copper  mines,  worked  by  Augus- 
tus and  Herod,  that  it  has  given  its  name  to  that  metal ; 


94  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

cuprum^  the  Latin  word  for  copper,  being  a  corruption 
of  Cyprium.  Cyprus  was  the  native  place  of  Barnabas. 
Christianity  was  first  introduced  into  this  island  by  those 
who  went  thither  on  account  of  the  persecution  which 
arose  in  Jerusalem  about  Stephen.  Barnabas  and  Paul 
entered  upon  their  missionary  tour  in  Cyprus.  The  island 
was  visited  again  by  Barnabas,  in  company  with  Mark. 

Easter  night  we  listened  to  an  address  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
McNaughton,  of  Smyrna,  on  certain  practical  phases  of 
the  mission  work  in  Asia  Minor  not  touched  upon  by 
former  speakers.  That  Lord's  day  evening  was  one  of 
phenomenal  glory.  The  Easter  moon  bathed  the  Medi- 
terranean in  its  silvery  light,  while  the  Great  Sea  was  in 
its  happiest  mood.  During  the  hour  of  service,  it  was 
remarked  that  the  surface  was  so  unruffled  that  we  could 
not  tell  but  that  we  were  worshipping  in  some  attractive 
church  at  home. 

It  requires  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  conceive 
that  the  prophet-bard  of  Patmos  found  much  of  the 
matchless  imagery  embodied  in  the  Book  of  Revelation 
in  the  transcendent  beauties  of  the  picturesque  seas  that 
were  surrounding  him  during  his  exile.  As  I  looked  out 
upon  the  waters,  reflecting  the  beams  of  the  full  moon, 
I  was  led  to  think  of  Rev.  iv.  6,  "And  before  the  throne 
there  was  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto  crystal ;"  just  as,  a  little 
while  before,  when  witnessing  the  indescribable  glory  of 
the  setting  sun,  I  had  been  forcefully  reminded  of  the 
second  verse  of  the  fifteenth  chapter,  "And  I  saw,  as  it 
were,  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire :  and  them  that  had 
gotten  the  victory  .  .  .  stand  on  the  sea  of  glass,  having 
the  harps  of  God." 

At  5  A.  M.J  Monday,  I  arose  to  make  preparations  for 
landing,  as  I  was  one  of  the  party  bound  for  Baalbek  and 


PATMOS,  RHODES  AND  BAALBEK.    95 

First  Sight        Damascus.    It  was  inspiring,  as  I  stood  on 

of  Syria.  the  forward  deck,  to  see  the  Lebanon  range, 
rising  before  us,  covered  with  snow.  Far  down  to  the 
right  lay  ancient  Tyre  and  Sidon.  These  locations  were 
pointed  out  to  me  by  Mr.  Clark,  United  States  Consul 
at  Jerusalem.  We  were  entering  the  harbor  of  Beyrout. 
The  first  portion  of  the  city  to  greet  you  is  the  American 
Presbyterian  University,  situated  on  a  point  of  land  jut- 
ting out  into  the  sea  from  the  foot  of  Lebanon. 

At  the  quay  we  had  to  surrender  our  "tezkeras,"  or 
Turkish  passports,  as  without  this  tezkera  no  traveller 
can  land  in  Syria.  The  only  place  visited,  as  we  passed 
through  the  city,  was  the  American  University,  compris- 
ing many  substantial,  beautiful  stone  buildings.  The  stu- 
dents number  about  eight  hundred.  The  institution  is  for 
boys  and  men  only. 

At  the  appointed  hour  we  left  by  rail  for  Baalbek  and 
Damascus.  That  was  a  wonderful  ride  we  had  that  day. 
The  grades  up  the  side  of  Lebanon  are  so  steep  that  they 
have  to  use  the  "cog"  system.  On  the  way  to  the  gap 
we  had  to  "switch-back"  (zigzag)  twice  and  tunnel  five 
times.  From  Beyrout  to  Damascus  the  distance  is  ninety- 
one  miles.  We  were  in  the  clouds  and  snow  as  we  ap- 
proached the  crests  of  the  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon 
ranges.  Within  a  few  hours  we  had  passed  from  palm 
groves  and  orange,  lemon  and  fig  orchards  to  the  snow — 
a  contrast  difficult  to  realize.  Where  we  crossed  the 
range  the  elevation  was  nearly  five  thousand  feet.  Look- 
ing to  the  south,  we  enjoyed  our  first  glimpse  of  Mount 
Hermon,  clad  in  his  mantle  of  snow. 

We  rapidly  descended  into  the  valley  of  Bukaa,  ancient 
Coele-Syria,  a  most  fertile  plain,  and  one  that  would  sup- 
port tens  of  thousands,  if  properly  cultivated.    At  Reyak 


96  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Station,  in  this  valley,  we  changed  cars  for  Baalbek,  or 
Heliopolis.  There  our  company  spent  the  night,  taxing 
to  their  utmost  capacity  the  three  large  hotels.  I  was 
entertained  at  the  Grand  New  Hotel,  and  was  made  most 
comfortable.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  situation  of  this 
most  ancient  city.  The  sunset  over  the  Lebanon  range 
baffled  description.  Baalbek  lies  between  the  two  great 
ranges  of  mountains,  known  as  Lebanon  and  Anti-Leba- 
non. At  seven  o'clock  Tuesday  morning  we  were  ready 
to  follow  our  guide,  Mr.  Alouf,  a  native  author.  The 
ruins  of  the  temples  of  Venus,  Jupiter,  and  the  Sun  were 
astonishing  in  their  splendor  and  beauty.  "Baalbek" 
means  "City  of  the  Sun,"  and  has  its  literal  translation 
in  the  Greek  name,  Heliopolis.  The  Temple  of  the  Sun, 
like  all  places  erected  to  the  worship  of  Helios,  is  situated 
directly  opposite  a  gap  in  the  mountains,  on  the  east. 
This  was  done  in  order  that  the  first  beams  of  the  rising 
sun  might  kiss  and  bless  the  temple  with  its  worshippers. 
Of  all  the  ruins  here,  the  Temple  of  the  sun  is  the  most 
imposing.  This  was  a  rectangular  building,  310  x  148 
feet,  having  its  roof  supported  by  a  peristyle  of  Corinthian 
columns,  fifty-four  in  number.  These  are  twenty-two  feet 
in  circumference  and  sixty  feet  high.  With  pedestal, 
capital  and  entablature,  the  columns  measure  eighty-nine 
feet  in  height. 

The  most  wonderful  feature    of    the    structure  is  the 

sizes  of  the  stones  used  in  the  foundation.     There  are 

three  of  these  stones  that  measure  64,  633^  and  63  by 

14  X  14  feet,  respectively.    At  the  limestone 

Great  Stones.  ,  ,  .  ,  , 

quarry,  whence  the  stones  for  the  temples 
were  taken,  the  largest  of  all  lies,  never  having  been  used. 
It  measures  71  x  15  x  14  feet.  These  were  the  work  of 
the  Phoenicians,  and  antedate  all  other  known  products  of 
architecture. 


TEMPLE  OF  THE  SUN,  baaLbeK- 


PATMOS,  RHODES  AND  BAALBEK.    97^ 

All  structures  built  of  large  stones,  both  in  Egypt  and 
Syria,  were  polished  after  the  blocks  were  placed  in  posi- 
tion in  the  walls.  Only  the  under  side  was  dressed  before 
the  block  was  laid.  Then  the  two  ends  were  polished  to 
form  joints  with  neighboring  stones.  After  this  the  top 
side  was  polished  to  receive  the  next  layer.  Thus,  when 
the  wall  was  built,  the  two  rough  sides  had  to  be  polished. 
This  was  done  from  the  top,  downward.  The  great  stones 
in  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  were  never  polished,  showing 
that  the  work  of  the  Phoenicians  was  interrupted.  No 
cement  is  used  between  the  stones,  and  those  cyclopean 
blocks  were  so  perfectly  fitted  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  insert  the  point  of  the  blade  of  a  penknife  between 
them.  Mechanical  engineers  agree  in  the  opinion  that 
these  stones  were  brought  from  the  quarry  on  an  inclined 
plane.  The  calculation  is  that  it  would  require  forty  thou- 
sand men  one  hour  to  move  the  huge  block  one  quarter  of 
an  inch. 

The  Temple  of  Jupiter  is  situated  to  the  south  of  the 
Temple  of  the  Sun.  It  is  regarded  as  the  finest  and  best 
preserved  temple  in  Syria.  It  was  surrounded  by  fifty 
marble  columns,  fourteen  of  which  were  fluted.  The  total 
height  of  these  columns  is  sixty  feet.  Above  these  col- 
umns there  is  a  richly  decorated  entablature,  surmounted 
by  the  most  magnificent  cornices  that  I  have  ever  seen. 
This  temple  measures  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  in 
length  by  sixty-eight  and  a  half  feet  in  width.  The  Tem- 
ple of  Venus  is  circular.  It  is  well  preserved,  and  though 
small,  is  a  most  perfect  type  of  architecture. 

While  Damascus  lays  just  claim  to  being  the  oldest  city 
to  have  maintained  a  continuous  existence,  Baalbek  was 
for  many  centuries  the  most  important  city  in  Syria.  It 
now  has  a  population  of  scarcely  five  thousand. 


98  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  Church  of  England  has  a  flourishing  mission  at 
Baalbek.  On  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival  there  I  was 
astonished  at  the  little  girls  from  the  mission  school, 
crowding  around  us  and  singing  the  hymns,  in  the  Eng- 
lish tongue,  which  are  familiar  to  the  Sunday-schools  of 
our  own  country. 

About  noon  our  train  left  for  Damascus.  On  leaving 
the  station,  to  our  right  we  looked  upon  that  part  of 
Lebanon  where  David  and  Solomon  contracted  with  the 
kings  of  Tyre  for  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  to  be  used  in 
the  building  of  the  palaces  and  the  temple.  Solomon  em- 
ployed thirty  thousand  men  in  the  work  of  cutting  and 
transporting  these  trees  to  the  sea,  on  whose  waters  they 
were  conveyed  to  Joppa,  and  thence  to  Jerusalem  by  land. 

The  Bukaa  Valley  was  a  scene  of  activity.  The  fella- 
hin,  or  farmers,  were  busy  plowing  and  planting.  Only 
oxen  are  used  in  plowing.  Donkeys  and  camels  were 
everywhere  to  be  seen,  carrying  burdens.  It  was  there 
that  I  saw  the  first  herd  of  camels  browsing  in  the  fields. 
At  Reyak  a  fine  lunch  was  served  to  us  before  we  boarded 
the  special  train  for  Damascus,  the  "Pearl  of  the  Orient." 
The  Bukaa  is  fifty  miles  long,  and  averages  three  miles 
in  width.  From  Reyak  we  began  the  ascent  of  Anti- 
Lebanon.  This  is  made  through  a  cafion,  affording  most 
rugged  scenery.  The  prevailing  phases  of  grandeur  were 
the  rocky  steeps  and  the  rushing  streams  from  the  snow- 
mantled  heights. 

As  we  emerged  from  the  gap,  glorious  Hermon  burst 

into  view.    This  is  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  whither 

"The  Holy        Petcr,   James,  and  John  accompanied  the 

Mount."  iy[an  of  Nazareth,  and  on  whose  summit 

Moses  and  Elijah  met  with  the  Lord,  and  talked  with 
him  about  his  decease,  which  he  should  soon  accomplish 


PATMOS,  RHODES  AND  BAALBEK.    99 

at  Jerusalem.  Here  he  was  transfigured  before  them.  I 
would  not  attempt  to  describe  the  impression  made  upon 
me  by  that  sublime  picture. 

Mount  Hermon  is  ten  thousand  feet  above  sea  level, 
and  is  the  highest  elevation  in  Palestine.  From  almost 
every  mountain  summit  in  the  Holy  Land  you  can  see 
majestic  Hermon,  even  as  far  down  as  the  Jordan  Valley 
and  the  Dead  Sea. 

After  crossing  the  Anti-Lebanon  range  we  were  in  the 

Damascus  Vahey.     Soon  we  discovered  the  head  waters 

Along  the          o^    the    limpid,    leaping   Abana.     This   be- 

Abana.  witching  rivcr  was  our  conductor,  from  its 

source  in  the  Anti-Lebanon,  to  the  city  through  which  it 
flows,  and  whose  population  and  gardens  it  so  abundantly 
waters.  The  modern  Arabic  name  for  Abana  is  "Barada." 
At  El  Fidjeh  I  saw  the  main  source  of  the  Abana.  Out 
from  under  some  ancient  masonry — a  part  of  what  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  a  temple  of  the  "River  God" — 
bursts  a  mighty  volume  of  water,  which  joins  the  Abana, 
and  rushes  like  a  cataract  down  the  mountain  gorge.  How 
refreshing  it  was  to  look  upon  this  clear,  crystal  stream, 
as  it  hurried  to  refresh  and  bless  all  the  animal  and  vege- 
table life  within  its  scope. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Damascus  and  Beyrout. 

AFTER  passing  through  gardens  of  blossoming 
apples,  quinces,  and  almonds,  at  length  we  were  at 
the  great  and  historic  city,  so  intimately  associated  with 
the  life  of  St.  Paul.  I  was  taken  to  the  Victoria  Hotel, 
near  the  bank  of  the  Abana,  as  my  place  of  sojourn  for 
two  nights.  We  had  two  hours  for  a  walk  through  the 
bazaars,  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  Damascus. 

As  my  hotel  was  crowded,  I  went  down  to  the  camp 
of  the  No.  3  Overland  Section,  and  had  my  first  taste  of 
tent  life  in  Syria.  The  tents  were  spread  upon  a  green, 
close  to  the  river,  where  I  had  the  novel  experience  of 
being  sung  to  sleep  by  the  lullaby  of  the  laughing  waters 
of  this  world-famed  stream. 

I  was  much  interested,  in  the  morning,  in  seeing  the 
Arabs  breaking  camp  and  packing,  preparatory  to  loading 
the  camels,  donkeys,  and  mules  for  the  first  link  in  the 
journey  from  Damascus  to  Jerusalem,  by  the  old  Caravan 
road.  Bright  and  early  I  had  risen  to  look  upon  the  new 
and  strange  surroundings.  This  Oriental  camp,  with  its 
unique  environment,  presented  a  beautiful  and  striking 
picture.  All  the  forty  overlanders  were  happy  and  ex- 
pectant. There  were  only  five  ladies  in  the  party.  After 
saying  good-bye  to  the  pilgrims,  till  we  should  meet  in 
Jerusalem,  I  went  to  the  hotel  for  breakfast. 

In  carriages  we  spent  the  morning  sight-seeing.  The 
first  place  we  visited  was  the  house  of  a  wealthy  Hebrew, 


The  Pearl  of 
the  Orient, 


DAMASCUS  AND  BEYROUT.  loi 

who  had  thrown  open  his  hospitable  doors 
and  invited  us  to  see  his  splendid  home. 
This  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  seeing  some- 
thing of  the  lavish  luxury  of  the  private  life  of  the  rich 
Damascenes.  Next  we  were  conducted  to  the  homes  of 
Ananias  and  Judas,  "in  the  street  that  is  called  Straight." 
Of  the  identity  of  this  street  there  can  be  no  doubt.  As 
its  name  indicates,  it  is  perfectly  straight,  and  traverses 
the  entire  city,  from  east  to  west.  The  locations  of  the 
houses  of  Ananias  and  Judas  are  only  traditional.  We 
passed  the  old  city  wall,  and  were  shown  the  window  out 
of  which  Paul  is  said  to  have  been  let  down  in  the  basket 
by  night,  to  escape  death  at  the  hands  of  his  persecutors. 
Thence  we  were  driven  past  the  home  of  Naaman,  the 
Syrian,  where  there  is  now  a  Lazaretto,  or  Lepers'  Home. 
Not  far  from  there  we  visited  the  Mosque  of  the  Der- 
vishes. 

The  Dervishes  are  divided  into  different  brotherhoods 
and  orders.  The  chief  orders  are  the  Mevlevi  or  Dancing 
Dervishes,  and  the  Rufai  or  Howling  Dervishes.  Every 
member  of  the  order  of  Dancing  Dervishes  has  to  per- 
form a  severe  novitiate,  lasting  one  thousand  and  one 
days,  before  final  admittance.  Their  gyrating  dance  is 
intended  to  represent  the  planetary  system  revolving 
around  the  sun,  and  is  supposed  to  be  a  survival  of 
Hindoo  mysteries.  The  Howling  Dervishes,  through  vio- 
lent physical  exercises,  work  themselves  into  a  frenzy, 
until,  having  lost  all  self-control,  they  give  vent  to  their 
nervous  excitement  through  explosive  groans,  hence 
the  term.  Howling  Dervishes.  These  exercises  constitute 
their  form  of  public  worship,  and  are  invariably  per- 
formed in  a  room  whose  atmosphere  is  charged  with  car- 
bonic acid  gas.     They  sway  their  bodies  to  the  time  of 


102  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

weird  music,  apparently  under  the  implicit  control  of 
their  leader.  They  evidently  are  under  powerful  mes- 
meric and  hypnotic  influences.  It  is  well  worth  seeing 
once  in  a  life-time,  but  few  would  care  to  repeat  the  ex- 
perience. In  witnessing  these  heathenish  rites  I  was  elo- 
quently reminded  of  Paul's  words  to  Timothy,  "Exercise 
thyself  unto  godliness ;  for  bodily  exercise  profiteth  little : 
but  godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise 
of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come." 

From  the  mosque  we  drove  through  the  Arabian  ceme- 
tery. There  we  alighted  and  visited  the  tombs  of  Fatima, 
the  daughter  of  Mohammed,  and'  two  of  his  favorite 
wives.  From  this  place  we  went  to  the  brass  factories, 
where  the  skilled  workmen  were  executing  all  sorts  of  de- 
signs, some  of  which  were  very  handsome.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  Damascus  has  been  famous  in  history  for 
the  quality  of  its  steel,  and  for  its  brass  manufactories  and 
processes  of  silver  refining.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  all 
of  this  skilled  labor  is  done  by  hand.  Many  of  the  ladies — 
and  gentlemen,  too — made  purchases  to  take  home  to 
America.  From  the  brass  works  we  were  carried  to  a 
height,  where  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  ancient 
city  and  its  suburbs. 

What  a  picture  this  city  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  inhabitants  made,  spread  out  in  the  rich  valley, 
with  the  Barada,  like  a  silver  ribbon,  flowing  through  the 
midst  of  it,  while  encircling  mountains  formed  its  most 
appropriate  frame !  Far  to  the  south  we  could  see  the 
mountains  of  Gilboa.  On  the  old  road  to  Jerusalem,  be- 
yond the  handle  of  the  spoon  (for  Damascus  is  in  the 
shape  of  a  spoon),  in  the  plain,  we  saw  the  traditional 
site  of  the  vision  of  Saul  of  Tarsus.  There  Saul,  armed 
with  letters  of  authority  from  Jerusalem  to  stamp  out 


DAMASCUS  AND  BEYROUT.  103 

the  religion  of  the  Galilean,  was  suddenly  arrested  and 
converted  to  the  faith  of  which  he  was  the  chief  opposer. 

After  dinner  I  went  to  visit  the  Grand  Mosque.  This 
edifice  has  a  peculiar  history.  It  was  first  built  for  a 
pagan  temple,  having  been  erected  several  centuries  before 
Christ.  In  323  A.  D.,  Constantine  established  the  Chris- 
tian religion  in  Damascus,  and  converted  the  temple  into 
a  church,  dedicated  to  John  the  Baptist.  In  634  the  city 
was  taken  by  the  Moslems,  and  the  church  was  divided 
into  two  parts.  The  Moslems  occupied  the  eastern,  and 
the  Christians  the  western  half,  both  entering  by  the  same 
door.  In  705,  Khalif  el-Walid  seized  the  whole  building, 
pulled  it  down  and  erected  a  mosque  upon  the  site,  retain- 
ing portions  of  the  outer  walls.  The  inside  measurement 
is  455  X  123  feet.  On  each  side  of  the  great  transept 
there  are  three  aisles  of  equal  width  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  feet  long.  The  floor  of  the  mosque  is  of 
Syrian  marble,  and  is  covered  with  beautiful  rugs  of  great 
value.  The  head  of  John  the  Baptist  is  said  to  be  buried 
in  this  building,  and  over  the  spot  stands  a  gilded  wooden- 
domed  vault.  A  fine  mausoleum  here  contains  the  body 
of  Saladin,  the  great  Saracen  general.  The  Khalif 
el-Walid  brought  skilled  workmen  from  Persia,  India, 
Western  Africa  and  Byzantium,  and  expended  the  whole 
revenue  of  Syria  for  seven  years  in  its  construction.  In 
addition,  he  used  eighteen  ship-loads  of  gold  and  silver, 
which  he  brought  from  Cyprus. 

Not  far  from  the  mosque  is  the  silver  workers'  quarter. 
I  was  rewarded  by  seeing  the  "refiner  and  purifier  of 
silver"  sit  by  the  crucible,  till  he  could  see  his  image  in 
the  molten  metal.  As  never  before  I  realized  the  beauty 
of  the  passage  of  Scripture,  "And  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner 
and  purifier  of  silver."     I  was  particularly  interested  in 


104  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

this,  because  I  had  tried  to  preach  from  this  text,  using 
the  same  illustration. 

Most  of  the  streets  of  Damascus  are  narrow,  dark  and 

very  picturesque.     The  bazaars  are  a  network  of  lanes 

and    alleys,    connected   by    dark    passages, 

Finest  Bazaars     gQj^g  ^f  which  are  SO  narrow  that  two  peo- 

in  the  World.  _  ,  ^ 

pie  can  pass  each  other  with  difficulty.  A 
guiHe  is  hardly  necessary  in  the  bazaars,  as  the  visitor 
prefers  to  give  himself  up  to  the  unrestrained  enjoyment 
of  the  novel  scene,  while  he  drifts  along,  in  the  current 
of  humanity,  from  one  display  to  another.  The  bazaars 
of  Damascus  and  Cairo  are  the  finest  in  the  world.  The 
dwelling-houses  are  very  irregular  in  size  and  architec- 
ture. The  inner  courts  are  paved  with  marble  and 
adorned  with  fountains,  fruit  trees  and  flowers.  In  many 
of  these  private  residences,  there  is  a  wealth  of  decoration 
in  gold  and  silver,  sand'al-wood  and  ebony,  mother-of- 
pearl,  and  mosaic.  One  of  the  most  striking  features  in 
Damascus  is  the  variety  of  costumes  and  types  which 
crowd  the  streets  and  bazaars.  The  trains  of  laden  camels, 
the  dromedary  with  gaudy  trappings,  the  Circassian,  the 
Anatolian,  the  wild  Bedouin  Sheikh,  the  wide-awake  Jew, 
the  savage-looking  Druse,  the  rough  Kurd,  the  Christian, 
the  grave  Moslem,  the  self-possessed  Persian,  the  stoical 
Turk,  the  quiet  Afghan,  the  dark  Algerian — all  are  found 
in  one  living,  moving  drama.  Every  costume  of  Asia, 
every  sect  of  religion,  every  tongue,  every  race,  is  repre- 
sented in  the  jostling  throng. 

Damascus  is  the  political  capital  of  Syria.  It  is  the 
headquarters  of  the  Syrian  army,  and  the  commander-in- 
chief  is  called  "^Seraskier."  A  part  of  his  duty  is  to  super- 
intend the  annual  pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  Hence,  he  is 
styled  the  Prince  of  the  Pilgrimage.    Damascus  was  the 


DAMACUS  AND  BEYROUT.  105 

home  of  Eliezer,  Abraham's  trusted  steward.  David  con- 
quered the  city  and  placed  a  garrison  there.  It  was  the 
constant  rival  and  enemy  of  Jerusalem,  and  afterwards  of 
Samaria. 

In  i860  a  terrible  massacre  occurred,  in  which  five 
thousand  Christians  were  murdered  in  cold  blood  during 
Christian  the  ninth,  tenth  and  eleventh  of  July.    Many 

Massacre.  thousands  more,  who  escaped  the  sword, 
afterwards  perished  from  the  effects  of  famine  and  priva- 
tion. The  massacre  was  perpetrated  by  the  Moslems. 
Since  that  time  the  intervention  of  European  powers  has 
caused  to  prevail  a  quieter  state  of  affairs. 

McLaurin  and  I  closed  the  busy  day  witH  a  delightful 
walk  around,  passing  the  public  green,  where  ten  thou- 
sand people  were  assembled  to  enjoy  one  of  their  favorite 
field  sports.  Crossing  the  beautiful,  welcome  Abana,  we 
made  our  way  back  to  the  hotel,  satisfied  with  our  event- 
ful visit  to  Syria's  capital. 

On  the  morning  of  the  seventh  of  April  we  were  called 
at  six,  for  we  were  scheduled  to  leave  for  Beyrout  at  7:30. 
At  the  station  we  had  a  fine  view  of  Mount  Hermon, 
standing  out,  the  monarch  of  the  Anti-Lebanon  Moun- 
tains. 

From  Damascus  the  journey  was  no  less  enjoyable  than 
it  was  in  going  down.  The  river,  the  gardens,  with  their 
endless  variety  of  flowers  and  vegetables,  the  orchards 
with  their  rich  promise  of  abundant  fruits,  and  the 
rugged,  rocky  mountain  gorge,  spread  for  us  a  panorama 
of  beauty  and  grandeur  difficult  to  surpass. 

At  noon  we  arrived  at  the  Baalbek  Junction,  where 
again  we  were  refreshed  with  an  excellent  lunch.  After 
Wreck  on  the       Crossing  the  rich  vale  of  Coele-Syria,  we 

Lebanon         ^crc  detained  at  Mallakah  on  account  of  a 


io6  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

wreck  not  far  from  Beyrout.  The  accident  was  caused 
by  the  breaking  of  the  coupling,  as  the  train  was  making 
a  very  steep  grade.  At  the  first  switch-back  the  four 
passenger  cars  ran  into  the  rocky  side  of  the  mountain 
and  were  completely  shivered.  There  were  eight  passen- 
gers killed,  and  many  others  were  severely  wounded.  It 
was  an  awful  scene,  as  we  viewed  the  wreck  on  our  way 
down.  We  were  unutterably  grateful  that  we  had  been 
allowed  to  pass  that  same  way  in  safety,  less  than  three 
days  before.  Doubtless  it  was  in  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  the  great  multitude  in  the  home  land  who  were  inter- 
ested in  our  daily  itinerary.  "The  effectual,  fervent 
prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much  ;"  but  how  much, 
none  can  fully  appreciate. 

We  slowly  descended  the  western  slope  of  Lebanon  to 
the  city  in  comfort,  and  embarked,  to  find  a  splendid  sup- 
per awaiting  us. 

The  trip  to  Baalbek  and  Damascus  could  not  be  dis- 
missed without  a  word  about  the  perfect  system  of  ter- 
racing, irrig-ation  and  cultivation  which  obtains  in  all  this 
densely  populated  country.  Grapes,  mulberries,  figs, 
olives  and  oranges,  with  barley,  clover  and  beans,  are  the 
prevailing  crops.  From  the  vast  mulberry  acreage,  the 
great  silk  industry  is  suggested,  Beyrout  being  the  centre 
of  the  silk  interests  of  Syria.  Along  the  way  I  saw  the 
old  threshing  floors,  like  those  of  Gideon  and  Araunah, 
while  on  all  hands  the  oxen  were  plowing  on  the  hillside, 
where  it  was  difficult  for  them  to  stand  or  walk. 

The  next  morning  I  was  up  before  six,  busy  arranging 
and  readjusting  for  the  overland  trip  and  for  the  stay  in 
Jerusalem.  During  the  day,  with  a  party,  I  visited  the 
Beyrout  American    Press,    the    American    Church, 

Mission.  School  for  Girls,  the  Sabbath-school  room, 


DAMASCUS  AND  BEYROUT.  ■  107 

and  the  cemetery  where  Hes  the  dust  of  the  lamented 
Cornelius  Van  Allen  Van  Dyke,  the  noble  veteran  who 
labored  here  five  and  fifty  years  for  the  salvation  of  Syria. 
His  greatest  work  was  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into 
the  Arabic  tongue.  I  was  shown  the  room  where  this 
great  work  was  done.  The  translation  was  begun  in  1848 
and  completed  in  1864.  I  was  shown  around  by  Ibrahim, 
the  twelve-year-old  son  of  the  native  pastor  of  the  church, 
of  which  Dr.  Jessup  was  for  thirty  years  pastor.  This  is 
an  enduring  monument  which  those  men  were,  and  are, 
erecting  to  their  own  memories,  while  thinking  only  of 
the  glory  of  him  whom  they  worship  and  delight  always 
to  honor.    Surely  their  works  will  live  after  them. 

The  Girls'  School  in  Beyrout  was  the  first  one  ever 
established  in  Syria  for  the  education  of  women.  The 
Only  Sunday-  Prcsbytcrian  Sabbath-school  of  the  Beyrout 
School  in  Syria,  niission  IS  the  only  one  Syria  has  ever 
known !  This  Sabbath-school  is  to  the  children  and  youth 
of  Beyrout  what  our  Sabbath-schools  are  to  the  children 
and  youth  in  our  own  homes.  After  profitable  visits  to 
these  important  institutions,  I  went  down  to  the  bazaars 
to  procure  some  things  needed  on  the  pilgrimage  to  Jeru- 
salem from  Haifa.  When  this  expedition  was  over  I  re- 
turned to  the  landing,  and  took  a  skifif  for  the  Kurfuerst. 
All  the  delinquents  of  our  party  having  arrived  from 
Damascus,  we  were  completing  our  plans  to  sail  at  11 
o'clock  p.  M. 

Beyrout  is  the  Berothai  or  Berothah  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  the  Berytus  of  the  Romans.  It  is  a  flourishing 
commercial  city,  with  a  population  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand,  and  is  situated  in  a  most  picturesque 
position  on  the  coast  of  Syria,  at  the  foot  of  Lebanon. 
It  is  the  chief  seaport,  market-place  and  emporium  of  all 


io8  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

trade  with  the  shores  of  Syria,  Palestine  and  Cilicia.  A 
considerable  increase  in  population  is  due  to  the  settle- 
ment, in  i860,  of  numbers  of  Christian  refugees  from 
Dar.iascus.  The  climate  during  the  winter  and  spring 
months  is  delightful.  During  the  summer  it  is  very  hot ; 
but  being  so  near  to  the  Lebanon  Mountains,  those  who 
can  afiford  to  do  so,  spend  the  heated  term  at  an  elevation 
of  some  four  thousand  feet,  where  the  summer  climate  is 
all  that  could  be  desired.  But  a  small  percentage  of  the 
population  of  Beyrout  are  Mohammedans.  The  natives 
are  less  Oriental  in  their  modes  of  living  than  those  of  any 
other  town  in  Syria.  English,  French,  and  Italian  are  all 
spoken.  Formerly  French  was  the  prevailing  European 
language,  but,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  work  of  the 
American  College,  English  is  rapidly  becoming  the  domi- 
nant European  tongue. 


CHAPTER  XIIL 
Haifa  to  JSea  of  Galilee. 

BEFORE  sailing  I  wrote  up  my  journal  for  the  day. 
About  daylight,  April  9th,  I  arose  and  made  for  the 
deck,  to  find  that  we  were  in  full  view  of  Haifa  and 
Mount  Carmel.  There  stood  the  promontory,  reaching 
out  into  the  sea,  with  the  Carmelite  monastery  on  the 
Test  of  traditional  site  of  the  contest  of  Elijah  with 

Religions.  the  prophcts  of  Baal.  At  six  o'clock  we  had 
breakfast,  and  at  once  went  ashore,  where  carriages  were 
in  waiting  for  us.  At  eight  we  were  on  our  way  to 
Nazareth. 

The  term  Haifa  means  a  sheltered  place.  It  well  de- 
serves the  name,  as  it  stands  on  the  most  sheltered  side 
of  the  only  natural  harbor  on  the  coast  of  Palestine. 
There  is  little  of  interest  in  Haifa  to  the  traveller.  I 
would  mention  only  the  Jewish  Cemetery,  some  ruins  of 
the  ancient  town,  and  the  splendid  palm  grove  by  the  sea- 
shore, said  to  be  the  finest  in  Palestine.  On  the  way  we 
crossed  the  plain  of  Acre. 

The  first  place  of  interest  on  the  road  was  the  brook 
Kishon,  where  Elijah  slew  the  prophets  of  Baal  and  of 
the  Grove.  A  little  further  on,  to  the  left,  we  passed 
the  ruins  of  Harosheth  of  the  Gentiles,  the  home  of 
Sisera,  the  captain  of  Jabin,  whom  Jael  slew  with  a  tent- 
pin. 

Every  step  of  the  way  was  interesting;  the  town  of 
Haifa,  the  harbor,  the  plain  between  Carmel  and  the  sea, 


no  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  mountains  forming  a  semi-circle  from  the  sea  on  the 
north  to  the  sea  on  the  south.  It  was  a  constantly  chang- 
ing landscape,  with  carpets  of  green  velvet,  trees  and  wild 
flowers  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

At  length  we  enter  the  wonderful  plain  of  Esdraelon, 

with  its  broad  acres,  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  can 

Plain  of  reach.     Nothing  in  Palestine  surpasses  this 

jezreei.  plain  for  beauty  and  fertility.  After  travers- 

ing the  plain  for  miles,  we  ascended  the  rugged  hill  west 
of  Nazareth.  The  view  from  this  point  was  a*  dream  of 
glory.  A  few  minutes  more,  and  we  were  at  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  overlooking  the  city  of  Nazareth. 

No  words  can  begin  to  express  my  feelings  as  I  first 

looked  upon  the  city,  where  the  feet  of  the  childhood  of 

Home  of  the      Jcsus  played.     Sacred  and  tender  are  the 

Holy  Family,  associatious  that  gather  about  the  place.  I 
knew  that  I  was  on  the  ground  that  was  once  so  familiar 
to  him,  and  that  I  was  looking  upon  the  scenes  upon 
which  he  so  often  looked.  It  was  here  that  he  spent  his 
childhood,  youth  and  young  manhood  until  he  "began  to 
be  about  thirty  years  of  age." 

The  city  is  built  on  the  slopes  of  a  natural  basin  formed 
by  fourteen  hills.  It  has  a  population  of  twelve  thousand, 
nine  thousand  of  whom  are  Christians  and  three  thousand, 
Mohammedans.  There  is  not  a  single  Hebrew  resident 
in  Nazareth.  There  was  not  a  Christian  inhabitant  there, 
before  the  time  of  Constantine. 

We  had  lunch  at  the  Casa  Nuova  Hospice,  and  were 
off  by  2 :30  for  Tiberias,  where  we  were  to  spend  the 
Sabbath.  About  nine  miles  from  Nazareth  we  passed  the 
birth  and  burial-place  of  the  prophet  Jonah ;  and  a  little 
further  on  we  reached  the  city  of  Cana  of  Galilee,  where 
"the  conscious  water  saw  its  God  and  blushed."    Alonsf 


HAIFA  TO  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  iii 

the  entire  journey  we  enjoyed  a  splendid  view  of  the 
country.  The  Horns  of  Hattin,  and  the  historic  battlefield 
where  the  Crusaders  fought  their  last  battle  with  the 
invincible  Saladin,  were  prominent  objects  of  interest. 
From  the  summit  of  Hattin,  all  the  way  across  the  plain 
to  Lubieh,  could  be  seen  the  heaps  of  stones  that  served 
as  breastworks  during  the  decisive  battle  of  July  5,  1187. 
The  grandest  sight  I  ever  beheld  was  that  which  I  had 
as  we  were  descending  to  the  lake,  that  Saturday  after- 
noon, at  6 130  o'clock.  The  sun  was  setting  behind  Hat- 
tin ;  the  sky  overhead  was  a  perfect  blue ;  the  nearer  and 
more  distant  mountains  were  encircling  the  caravan;  the 
grass  was  luxuriant,  and  infinite  variety  of  wild  flowers 
greeted  the  eye  on  all  sides,  while  the  balmy  atmosphere 
was  laden  with  their  fragrance.  The  clouds  were  gather- 
ing as  a  canopy  over  the  heads  of  Hermon  and  other 
lofty  peaks  toward  the  northwest ;  the  gorges  of  the  Jor- 
dan above  and  below  the  sea,  and  in  the  centre  Blue 
Galilee  made  a  picture    that    left    nothing 

The  Sacred  Sea.  . 

whatever  to  be  desired.  I  shall  always  be 
grateful  for  the  privilege  of  approaching  this  hallowed 
spot  under  such  favorable  auspices. 

The  sea  of  Galilee  is  thirteen  miles  in  length  and  nine 
miles  in  width.  In  shape  it  suggests  a  harp,  with  the 
wider  end  toward  the  north.  This  fact  caused  the  an- 
cients to  give  it  the  name  of  Cinneroth.  The  surface 
of  the  lake  is  six  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  the  greatest  depth  is  one  hundred  and 
sixty  feet.  The  Jordan  river  forms  both  the  inlet  and 
the  outlet  of  Galilee.  The  waters  are  as  clear  as  crystal, 
and  reflect  every  mood  of  cloud  and  sky.  From  this  it 
necessarily  follows  that  the  color  of  Gennesaret  varies, 
according  to  the  dififerent  lights  and  shadows  which  fall 
upon  its  surface. 


112  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Our  objective  point  was  the  city  of  Tiberias,  where 
we  found  accommodation  at  the  Latin  Convent,  near  the 
seaside.  I  could  look  out  of  the  hall  window  directly 
upon  the  beautiful  sheet  of  water. 

The  Sabbath  dawned  bright  and  glorious.  After  break- 
fast, McLaurin  and  I  started  to  the  service  that  was  to  be 
held  at  9 130  near  the  shore.  On  the  way  thither  we  rested 
on  the  pebbly  beach  and  looked  over  the  placid  bosom 
of  the  blue  lake,  and  gathered  up  some  of  the  little  shells 
that  are  found  by  the  million,  intermingled  with  the 
smooth,  water-worn  stones. 

The  topic  of  the  meeting  was,  "Lessons  in  the  Life  of 
our  Lord  as  it  Related  to  the  Galilee  Region."  I  shall 
always  remember  with  peculiar  pleasure  that  Sabbath  on 
the  Sea  of  Tiberias.  While  we  were  at  the  service,  Mount 
Hermon  stood  before  us,  a  splendid  inspiration.  I  could 
easily  imagine  that  the  clouds  which  were  hovering  over 
the  summit  were  such  as  were  present  at  the  time  of  the 
Transfiguration.  The  sea,  the  mountains,  the  ruins  of 
Words  and  Magdala,   Capernaum  and   the   two   Beth- 

Works  of  Jesus,  saidas,  all  eloquently  reminded  us  of  him 
who  spent  so  large  a  part  of  his  public  ministry  in  the 
Galilee  country.  I  was  almost  overwhelmed  by  the  pecu- 
liar environment.  I  could  see  the  footprints  of  our  Lord 
wherever  I  looked.  All  the  experiences  narrated  in  the 
gospels  were  vividly  pictured  to  my  mind  in  the  midst  of 
my  suroundings.  There  are  the  disciples  crossing  the 
sea  by  night.  The  Lord  is  asleep  in  the  hinder  part  of  the 
boat.  A  storm  suddenly  bursts  upon  them.  They  are 
terrified,  and  arouse  the  Master  with  the  question,  "Carest 
thou  not  that  we  perish?"  He  rebukes  the  winds  and  the 
waves  with  the  divine  command,  "Peace,  be  still !"  And 
immediately  there  is  a  great  calm.     The  disciples,  filled 


HAIFA  TO  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  113 

with  wonder,  exclaim,  "Even  the  winds  and  the  sea  obey 
him." 

Again  they  are  crossing  the  lake.  The  ship  is  now  in 
the  midst  of  the  sea,  tossed  with  waves,  for  the  wind  is 
contrary.  Toward  morning-  Jesus  comes  to  them,  walking 
on  the  waves.  The  disciples  see  him  and  are  troubled. 
Thinking  it  to  be  an  apparition,  they  cry  out  for  fear. 
Straightway  he  speaks,  "Be  of  good  cheer;  it  is  I;  be 
not  afraid."  He  comes  into  the  ship.  The  wind  ceases, 
and  the  disciples  worship,  with  the  confession,  "Of  a 
truth  thou  art  the  Son  of  God!"  Look  across  to  the 
country  of  the  Gadarenes,  on  the  east.  Having  crossed 
the  lake,  Jesus  disembarks.  The  demoniac  from  the 
tombs  meets  him.  He  recognizes  the  Son  of  the  Most 
High.  The  legion  of  demons  is  cast  out,  and  enters  into 
a  herd  of  swine,  feeding  on  the  hillside  near  by.  They 
run  violently  down  the  steep  hill,  and  are  choked  in  the 
sea.  Such  were  the  pictures  that  came  to  me  that  holy 
day,  spent  on  the  shore  of  Galilee. 

"0  Sabbath  rest  by  Galilee! 
O  calm  of  hills  above! 

Where  Jesus  knelt  to  share  with  thee 

The  silence  of  eternity- 
Interpreted  by  love! 

"Drop  thy  still  dews  of  quietness. 

Till  all  our  strivings  cease; 
Take  from  our  souls  the  strain  and  stress, 
And  let  our  ordered  lives  confess 

The  beauty  of  thy  peace." 

In  the  afternoon  I  took  a  walk  down  the  lake  to  the 
outlet.  This  is  a  delightful  sight,  as  the  Jordan  breaks 
out  in  his  majesty  and  begins  his  tortuous  course  toward 


114  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  Dead  Sea.  Though  the  season  was  early  for  bathing, 
I  could  not  resist,  for  the  sake  of  sentiment,  a  plunge 
into  the  blue  waters  of  the  sacred  lake. 

Monday  morning  by  seven  we  were  in  fishing  boats, 
pushing  off  from  the  shore.  We  sailed  about  ten  in  a 
boat.  The  fleet  passed  the  site  of  Magdala,  the  home  of 
Mary,  to  whom  Jesus  first  showed  himself  after  the  resur- 
rection. Some  distance  from  the  shore,  as  you  look  to- 
ward the  north,  on  a  rocky  terrace,  are  the  extensive  ruins 
of  Chorazin ;  a  little  farther  on,  and  we  came  within 
sight  of  Bethsaida.  This  was  the  home  of  Peter,  Andrew, 
James,  John,  and  Philip.  Bethsaida  means  the  "house  of 
fish."  The  bay  is  sheltered  by  hills  and  projecting  bluffs, 
and  seems  well  adapted  for  a  fishing  town.  Another  half 
hour's  sail  along  the  north  shore  and  we  reached  Caper- 
naum. 

After  his  rejection  at  Nazareth,  our  Lord  chose  this 
city  as  his  temporary  home.    Here,  finding 

His  Own  City.       -.  «■        t  •      •  <  •  r  i 

Matthew  sittmg  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  he 
called  him  to  be  his  follower.  We  visited  the  ruins  of  the 
old  synagogue,  where  Christ  preached  on  the  Sabbath 
days.  I  saw  among  the  splendid  ruins  a  lintel,  with  a 
carved  representation  of  a  pot  of  manna  and  David's  seal. 
Here,  while  looking  toward  this  door,  the  Master  de- 
clared, "Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness, 
and  are  dead,"  and  proclaimed  himself  the  Living  Bread, 
which  came  down  from  heaven,  which,  if  a  man  eat,  he 
shall  live  forever.  Not  far  from  the  synagogue  stood 
the  house  where  Christ  healed  Peter's  wife's  mother,  who 
lay  sick  of  a  fever.  In  "his  own  city,"  four  men  carried 
to  him  the  paralytic,  and  let  him  down  through  the  roof. 
Jesus  looked  upon  him,  and  said,  "Arise,  take  up  thy  bed 
and  go  into  thine  house."  And  he  arose  and  glorified 
God. 


HAIFA  TO  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  115 

This  city  was  the  scene  of  many  of  his  wonderful 
works.  Here  the  ruler's  daughter  was  restored  to  life, 
the  'two  blind  men  received  sight,  the  dumb  were  made 
to  speak,  and  the  Centurion's  servant  was  healed.  I 
walked  on  the  shore  where  Peter  cast  in  the  hook  and 
caught  the  fish  in  whose  mouth  was  the  coin,  with  which 
he  was  to  pay  tribute  for  himself  and  his  Master.  On 
this  shore  James  and  John  were  with  Zebedee,  their  father, 
when  they  were  called  to  be  fishers  of  men.  Near  Beth- 
saida,  from  a  boat,  he  taught  the  multitude  in  parables. 
While  sailing  on  the  sea,  the  traditional  place  was  pointed 
out  to  us,  near  Capernaum,  where  the  five  thousand  were 
miraculously  fed.  Capernaum  is  a  short  distance  west 
of  where  the  Jordan  flows  into  Galilee,  while  Bethsaida 
Julias  lies  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  inlet. 

Leaving  Capernaum,  we  sailed  directly  across  the  lake 
to  Tiberias.  A  storm  overtook  us  on  the  way,  which 
made  the  sea  quite  rough.  This  circumstance  brought  us 
into  closer  sympathy  with  the  inspired  record  of  the  thrill- 
ing experiences  of  the  disciples. 

During  this  sail  I  looked  upon  the  shore,  and  thought 
of  the  visit  of  the  Lord  after  his  resurrection.  The  dis- 
ciples had  been  fishing  all  night,  and  had  caught  nothing. 
In  the  morning  Jesus  stood  on  the  shore,  and  directed 
them  to  cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship.  They 
obeyed,  and  were  not  able  to  draw  the  net  for  the  miracu- 
lous multitude  of  fishes.  He  then  called  them  to  the 
shore,  where  he  bade  them  partake  of  the  bread  and  fish 
he  had  prepared  for  them.  Then  followed  the  thrice 
repeated  question  of  the  Master  to  Peter,  "Lovest  thou 
me  ?"  with  the  command  to  shepherd  his  flock. 

About  noon  we  landed  at  Tiberias.  This  was  one  of 
the  four  cities  sacred  to  the  Jews.    Here  the  Sanhedrim 


ii6  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

City  of  sat,  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  in 

Tiberias.  the  year  70  A.  D.  It  is  a  city  of  five  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  four  thousand  of  whom  are  Hebrews, 
three  hundred  Christians,  and  the  remainder  Moham- 
medans. 

Tiberias  is  the  only  one  of  the  once  populous  cities  on 
the  shores  of  Galilee  which  can  boast  of  being  anything 
of  a  city  at  the  present  day.  The  others  mentioned  are  a 
mass  of  ruins,  with  only  a  few  humble  dwellings  and 
wretched  huts.  The  streets  of  Tiberias  are  narrow, 
crooked  and  filthy.  It  is  neither  attractive  nor  healthy  to 
foreigners.  The  cit}^  is  infested  with  fleas.  These  are 
of  unusual  size,  and  as  persistent  as  large.  The  Arabs, 
who  are  not  prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  place,  have  a  say- 
ing that  the  "king  of  the  fleas"  has  his  royal  residence 
there ! 

The  Free  Church  of  Scotland  has  a  mission  here,  di- 
vided into  three  apartments,  educational,  medical,  and 
evangelistic.  The  Rev.  W.  Ewing,  Dr.  Torrance  and 
Miss  Fenton  are  doing  a  noble  work  in  Tiberias. 

At  the  Southern  limit,  near  the  shore,  are  the  four 
Thermal  Springs,  the  temperature  of  whose  waters  is 
144°  Fahrenheit.  Aside  from  a  section  of  well-preserved 
mosaic  pavement  in  Herod's  palace,  and  the  foundations 
of  the  old  city  walls,  there  are  but  few  traces  of  the  an- 
cient capital  of  Galilee. 

After  lunch  we  took  our  carriages  for  the  return  trip 
to  Nazareth.  The  retrospect,  as  we  slowly  climbed  the 
steep  mountain  side,  was  simply  glorious. 

On  the  way  we  halted  at  the  base  of  Hattin,  and  about 
a  dozen  of  us  struggled  to  the  summit.  There  we  had  a 
magnificent  view  of  Hermon,  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  the  plain 
of  Hattin,  and  the  grand  panorama  of  mountains,  sil- 


HAIFA  TO  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  117 

houetted  against  the  sky.  While  we  were  on  the  moun- 
tain we  read  the  Beatitudes  and  sang  "Coronation."  We 
were  standing  on  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  where  our 
Lord  delivered  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Looking  to 
the  northwest,  we  saw  Safed  a  prosperous  city  of  fifteen 
thousand  inhabitants,  charmingly  situated  on  the  moun- 
tain side.  This  was  the  only  city  in  sight  of  the  Mount 
of  Beatitudes,  and  so,  undoubtedly,  was  the  place  to 
which  the  Great  Teacher  referred  in  the  words,  "A  city 
that  is  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Cana,  Nazareth  and  Samaria. 

E  drove  rapidly  to  Cana    of    Galilee,    where    we 

visited  the  Latin  Church,  built  upon  the  site  of 

the  house  where  the  marriage  took  place,  and  where  Jesus 

performed  his  first  miracle,  of  turning  the  water  into 

The  First  wine.     Over  the  main  altar  there  are  two 

Miracle.  hands  clasped,  with  these  words,  in  Latin, 

"What  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put 
asunder," 

Two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  there  is  the  Greek 
Orthodox  Church,  where  we  witnessed  an  Easter  Monday 
service,  their  Easter  being  a  week  later  than  ours.  There 
were  shown  two  old  water  pots,  said  to  have  held  the 
water  turned  into  wine  at  the  wedding  feast.  On  the  side 
of  the  road,  just  west  of  the  town,  is  a  public  well,  at 
which  the  stock  are  watered  and  the  women  do  their 
washing — a  place  of  great  filth  and  wretchedness. 

After  a  beautiful  drive,  we  arrived  at  Nazareth  about 
the  setting  of  the  sun.  At  once  we  repaired  to  the  Casa 
Nuova,  where  we  found  dinner  in  readiness  for  us. 

The  next  day  six  of  us  employed  a  special  guide,  that 
we  might  see  the  city  to  the  best  possible  advantage.  We 
first  visited  the  site  of  Mary's  kitchen,  over  which  a 
church  is  now  built,  and  close  by  the  workshop  of  Joseph. 
Next  we  went  to  the  Church  of  Mensa  Christi,  or  Table 
of  Christ.  Also,  we  were  taken  to  the  synagogue  in  which 
Christ    preached,    and    where    he    was    rejected.     From 


CANA,  NAZARETH,  SAMARIA.  119 

thence  to  the  Hill  of  Precipitation :  "And  all  they  in  the 
synagogue,  when  they  had  heard  these  things,  were  filled 
with  wrath,  and  rose  up  and  thrust  him  out  of  the  city, 
and  led  him  unto  the  brow  of  the  hill  whereon  their  city 
was  built,  that  they  might  cast  him  down  headlong." 

The  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  or  Mary's  Well,  was  the 
place  of  chief  interest,  because  its  identity  is  unques- 
tionable. I  stood  and  looked  at  the  women  of  the  town, 
coming,  as  is  their  custom,  with  their  water  pots,  to  the 
well.  There  they  engage  in  friendly  gossip,  while  they 
leisurely  fill  their  water  pots.  Then  they  hoist  them  upon 
their  heads,  and  turn  to  give  place  to  others.  This  being 
the  only  public  fountain  in  Nazareth,  the  humbler  people 
frequent  the  place  for  their  water  supply.  I  saw  mothers 
with  their  little  children  hanging  on  their  skirts,  and  pic- 
The  Child  tured  in  my  mind  another  mother,  accom- 

jesus.  panied  by  her  child,  as  she  came  daily  to  this 

well.  This  scene  brought  me  sacredly  near  to  the  daily 
life  of  him  whose  feet  so  often  pressed  the  ground  upon 
which  I  was  then  standing.  As  I  drank  at  that  fountain 
I  thought  of  how  often,  in  maturer  years,  he  had  come  to 
that  well  to  quench  his  thirst  with  its  pure,  sweet  waters ! 

During  the  day  we  paid  a  visit  to  the  Italian  School 
for  Boys,  and  to  the  Orphanage  for  Girls.  This  latter 
institution  was  founded  by  the  Society  for  the  Promotion 
of  Female  Education  in  the  East.  Our  guide  led  us  to 
the  mountain  summit  behind  Nazareth,  on  the  north.  On 
that  height  we  enjoyed  a  most  extensive  view.  We  saw 
Hermon,  the  Mediterranean,  the  Valley  of  Acre,  Haifa, 
Carmel,  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  gorge  of  the  Jordan, 
Mount  Tabor,  Little  Hermon,  the  mountains  of  Gilboa, 
the  mountains  of  Gilead,  the  mountains  of  Ephraim,  and, 
far  to  the  south,  the  mountains  round  about  Jerusalem. 


120  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Our  fine  view  included  also  the  historic  cities  of  Jezreel, 
Nain,  Endor  and  Engannim. 

After  the  view  in  the  morning,  when  the  atmosphere 
was  not  quite  clear,  McLaurin  and  I  went  up  again  in 
the  afternoon.  From  that  point  of  vantage  we  studied  the 
topography,  geography  and  history  of  that  most  wonder- 
ful country.  We  were  rewarded  by  a  most  glorious  sun- 
set. No  artist  could  put  upon  canvas,  nor  could  pen 
describe,  the  splendor  of  the  sun  sinking  into  the  great 
w^estern  sea,  behind  the  rugged  ridge  of  Carmel, 

April  13th,  bright  and  early,  we  left  for  Shunem.  We 
arrived  at  this  wretched  village  in  time  for  lunch,  which 
Shunem.  was  Carried  with  us.     This  was  our  first 

picnic  dinner,  served  in  an  orchard,  under  large  fig-trees. 
Before  lunch  was  spread  I  found  a  quiet  spot  among  the 
orange  trees  and  read  the  account  of  the  Shunammite  and 
her  hospitality  toward  the  prophet  of  God.  The  picture 
of  the  young  son  with  his  father  in  the  harvest  field,  the 
sunstroke,  his  death  on  his  mother's  lap  at  noon,  the 
mother's  ride  across  the  plain  of  Jezreel  to  Mount  Carmel 
to  see  Elisha  in  her  distress,  the  prophet's  return  with 
her,  and  his  raising  her  son  to  life,  was  very  vivid  in  its 
details. 

Near  the  garden  there  was  a  fellah  plowing.  I  went 
through  the  hedge  to  where  he  was  at  work,  and  asked 
him  to  let  me  take  a  hand  in  plowing.  This  he  did  most 
cheerfully.  A  few  furrows  with  the  oxen  and  the  one- 
handled  plow  sufficed  to  give  him  a  little,  rest,  and  me 
the  novel  experience  of  turning  the  soil  of  Palestine.  He 
gave  me  to  understand  that  I  did  good  work. 

There  are  no  distinct  landmarks  in  Shunem.  The  ruins 
of  the  ancient  historic  city  lie  buried  under  the  rubbish 
of   fifty   generations.     The   modern   town  is  built   upon 


CANA,  NAZARETH,  SAMARIA.  121 

mounds  of  debris,  which  point  to  heaps  of  old  ruins.  The 
houses  are  without  floors  and  chimneys,  and  are  flat- 
roofed.  The  earth,  with  an  old  rug,  serves  as  a  floor.  A 
hole  in  the  mud  roof  does  duty  as  a  chimney,  while  the 
most  palatial  of  their  dwellings  are  guiltless  of  windows. 
At  every  turn  I  was  met  by  numbers  of  poor  little  begging 
children,  about  whose  faces  the  flies  were  swarming.  The 
village  is  wefl-watered  with  perennial  springs,  and  is  com- 
paratively prosperous. 

Shunem  was  the  place  where  the  Philistines  encamped 
while  Saul  gathered  all  Israel  together  in  Mount  Gilboa 
the  night  before  the  fatal  battle.  Endor,  where  Saul  con- 
sulted the  witch,  is  near  to  this  place.  Two  miles  from 
Endor,  on  the  northeast  side  of  Little  Hermon,  lies  the 
little  town  of  Nain,  where  Jesus  raised  from  the  dead  a 
young  man,  who  was  "the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and 
she  was  a  widow."  A  small  mosque  stands  on  the  site 
of  a  Christian  chapel,  built  over  the  place  where  the  mira- 
cle was  performed. 

We  dismissed  the  carriages  at  Shunem,  and  began  our 

camp  life  in  earnest.     We  were  provided  with  Arabian 

Camp  Life         horscs,  while  our  baggage,  tents,  provisions 

Begins.  and  culinary  outfit  were  loaded  on  camels, 

donkeys  and  mules.  Then  and  there  began  some  original 
experiences.  I  had  a  bit  of  amusing  experience  before 
the  start  was  made.  I  was  intent  on  watching  the  riders 
choose  and  mount  their  horses.  All  seemed  so  eager  to 
start  that  I  waited  until  all  had  made  their  selections. 
The  dragoman  had  miscalculated,  for  the  number  of 
horses  turned  out  to  be  one  less  than  the  number  of  riders. 
It  looked  like  I  was  going  to  have  to  make  the  pilgrimage 
on  foot,  but  "fortune  favors  the  brave" — (for  when  the 
dragoman  saw  my  plight,  he  gave  me  his  own  Arab 
steed,  which  proved  to  be  the  best  horse  in  the  caravan. 


122  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

At  the  given  signal  the  diversified  column  began  to 
move.  I  cannot  say  much  for  the  graceful  attitude  of 
some  of  the  equestrian  train,  but,  by  persistent  effort, 
they  improved  daily,  so  that,  by  the  end  of  the  journey, 
the  appearance  of  the  party  was  that  of  a  cohort  of  vete- 
rans !  Our  road  v^as  not  a  highway,  but  a  Bedouin  trail, 
which  led  us  first  to  Gideon's  Fountain.  There  the  test 
was  made  which  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  three  hun- 
dred, who,  with  Gideon,  were  to  surprise  the  camp  of 
the  Midianites  and  Amalekites,  spread  out  in  the  valley 
toward  the  Jordan,  "like  grasshoppers  for  multitude." 
This  fountain  is  an  immense  spring,  bursting  out  from  a 
limestone  cave,  at  the  base  of  Mount  Gilboa.  The  spring 
occupies  a  circular  basin,  about  two  hundred  feet  in  dia- 
meter. Of  course,  we  were  subjected  to  the  test,  and 
drank  of  the  fountain,  "putting  the  hand  to  the 
mouth." 

Our  path  from  there  to  Jezreel  lay  through  barley 
fields.  About  the  identity  of  Jezreel  there  has  never  ex- 
isted any  doubt.  Jezreel  is  principally  noted  in  connec- 
tion with  the  history  of  Ahab,  "who  did  sell  himself  to 
work  wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  whom  Jeze- 
bel, his  wife,  stirred  up." 

Although  the  capital  of  Israel  was  at  Samaria,  Ahab 

had  a  palace  also  at  Jezreel.     There  now  stands  a  high 

tower,  said  to  be  the  famous  watch-tower 

Ahab's  Palace.     .       ^  .  ,  ^      a  i     ,  , 

m  Jezreel,  and  a  part  of  Ahab  s  palace. 
Fiom  this  tower  the  watchman  discovered  the  approach 
of  Jehu,  the  reformer,  at  whose  command  the  wicked 
queen  was  thrown  from  a  window,  and  dashed  to  death 
at  his  feet.  "Hard  by  the  palace,"  on  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  I  saw  the  plot  of  ground  where  a  number  of  rock-cut 
wine-presses  still  exist.     That     is,    unquestionably,    the 


CANA,  NAZARETH,  SAMARIA.  123 

location  of  the  coveted  vineyard  of  Naboth.  The  modern 
village  is  occupied  by  fellahin.  As  I  rode  through  the 
narrow,  crooked  streets  among  the  hovels,  I  was  made  un- 
utterably sad  at  the  thought  of  the  wickedness  of  Ahab 
and  Jezebel,  which  thought  is  inseparable  from  the  history 
of  ancient  Jezreel. 

After  riding  through  green  fields,  across  the  plain  of 

Esdraelon,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting,  we  rode  into  the 

Border  City       Pretty  city  of  Engannim,  through  an  ave- 

"Fountain  nuc  of  giant  cactus  trees.  The  situation  of 
ar  ens.  ^^^.^  ^.^^  .^  bcautiful.  It  is  wcll  Watered,  its 
name  signifying  fountain  gardens.  The  population  is 
about  six  thousand.  Our  tents  were  pitched  on  the  public 
threshing  floor,  to  the  west  of  the  town.  Engannim  was 
on  the  border  line,  between  the  provinces  of  Galilee  and 
Samaria,  and  also  divided  the  tribes  of  Issachar  and 
Manasseh. 

That  night  our  camp  was  guarded  by  a  company  of 
Turkish  soldiers,  on  account  of  the  frequent  Bedouin 
raids  from  the  mountains.  As  often  as  we  waked  during 
the  night,  we  could  hear  the  signals  between  the  sentinels, 
and  the  hideous  concert  of  the  hyenas,  wolves,  and  jackals 
around  the  camp.  Our  tents  were  arranged  in  a  circle, 
within  which  the  camp  gathered  after  supper  for  worship 
before  retiring.  This  service,  under  the  skies  of  Pales- 
tine, was  a  novel  experience  to  the  No.  7  Overland  Party. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  sunset,  the  afterglow  and  the 
starlight  of  Engannim. 

We  were  called  to  breakfast  at  5  130  the  next  morning, 
and  a  little  after  six  we  were  mounted  and  ready  to  start. 
I  was  greatly  annoyed,  every  morning,  by  one  of  our 
Bedouin  muleteers  hiding  my  horse,  and  then  demanding 
backsheesh  for  his  return.    It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say 


124  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

that  I  saw  that  my  horse  was  brought  back  to  me  on  each 
occasion  without  backsheesh. 

The  ride  that    day    was    rough,    but    dehghtful.     We 

traversed  the  rich  plain  till  we  came  to  Dothan,  where 

the  sons  of  Jacob  were  pasturing  the  flocks  when  Joseph 

came  to  visit  them.    On  the  hillside  there  are  still  many 

Joseph  Sold  to    jug-shapcd  cisterns,  cut  out  of  solid  rock. 

Caravan,  Wg  vvcre  shown  One,  in  which  Joseph  is 
said  to  have  been  put  by  his  brethren  before  he  was  sold 
to  the  Ishmaelites  and  carried  to  Egypt.  Dothan  is  of 
special  interest  to  us,  also,  because  of  the  incident  re- 
corded in  2  Kings  vi.  8-23.  There  Elisha,  surrounded 
by  the  Syrian  hosts,  prayed  that  they  might  be  smitten 
with  temporary  blindness,  with  the  result  that  the  prayer 
was  heard,  and  the  prophet's  life  saved. 

At  noon,  we  halted  for  lunch  at  the  village  of  Silet  edh 
Dharhr,  in  a  beautiful  olive  garden.  After  a  rest  of  an 
hour  and  a  half,  we  were  off  for  the  long,  hard  ride  to 
Shechem. 

The  view  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  as  we  looked 
back,  toward  the  plain  of  Dothan,  over  the  road  by  which 
the  Syrians  traveled  when  they  went  to  capture  Elisha, 
was  sublime.  I  was  astonished  to  find  that  the  feature 
of  chief  prominence  in  this  retrospect  was  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration. 

The  next  place  of  historic  interest  was  Samaria,  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  Here  Elisha  had  his 
home,  when  Naaman,  the  Syrian  leper,  came  to  be  healed, 

Samaria  is  situated  on  a  commanding  hill,  which  rises 
abruptly  to  a  height  of  from  four  hundred  to  five  hundred 
feet,  out  of  the  centre  of  a  basin  five  miles  in  diameter. 
On  the  plateau  the  capital  city  was  built.  Its  steep,  rocky 
sides  formed  a  natural  wall  of  defence.    From  the  western 


CANA,  NAZARETH,  SAMARIA.  125 

gate  we  were  greeted  with  a  landscape  reaching  to  the 
Mediterranean,  one  of  the  richest  in  the  Holy  Land. 

Here  the  kings  of  Israel  from  the  time  of  Omri  were 
buried,  but  the  royal  tombs  have  never  been  excavated. 

There  John  the  Baptist's  body  was  said  to  be  buried, 

and  the  Crusader's  Church  of  St.  John  stands  over  the 

Tombs  of         grave.     We  were  conducted  into  the  crypt 

Prophets.  j^y  a  flight  of  thirty-one  steps,  to  see  the 
tombs  of  John,  Elisha  and  Obadiah.  The  Great  Colon- 
nade, commencing  on  the  west,  runs  eastward  one  thou- 
sand feet  in  a  straight  line,  thence  northward  to  the  brow 
of  the  hill.  Eighty  columns  of  that  royal  road  are  stand- 
ing, all  with  capitals  broken  off  and  partly  sunken.  Many 
others  are  lying  on  the  terraces  and  among  the  olive  trees. 
There  were  two  rows,  fifty  feet  apart,  extending  three 
thousand  feet.  On  the  north  side  there  is  a  large  amphi- 
theatre, which  seems  to  have  been  excavated  by  human 
labor.  The  modern  village  consists  of  a  large  number 
of  mud-huts,  huddled  together. 

Leaving  Samaria,  we  descended  toward  the  south,  in 
the  valley  that  leads  up  to  Shechem,  passing,  at  the  foot 
of  the  Hill  of  Samaria,  a  spring  of  good  water,  with  old 
ruins  beside  it.  This  is  pointed  out  as  the  Pool  of  Sa- 
maria, in  which  Ahab's  blood-stained  chariot  was  washed. 

The  rich  wheat  and  barley  fields,  the  beautiful  terraces, 
the  splendid  Roman  road,  the  olive,  orange  and  fig  groves, 
and  the  old  aqueducts,  afforded  us  a  panorama  of  pleasure 
in  the  light  of  the  clear  afternoon.  About  an  hour  before 
sundown,  we  rode  into  our  camp  at  Shechem. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
ShecheMj  Jacob's  Well,  to  Holy  City. 

THE  tents  were  already  pitched,  and  we  had  time  to 
visit  the  only  Samaritan  synagogue  in  the  world. 
The  congregation  numbers  three  hundred  people.  The 
son  of  the  high  priest  cordially  welcomed  us,  and  showed 
us  the  ancient  manuscript  of  the  Pentateuch,  the  Samari- 
tan Bible.  This  document  dates  back  three  thousand,  five 
hundred  and  seventy-six  years. 

After  returning  to  our  tents,  our  supper  was  delayed 
for  some  time  on  account  of  the  belated  camel  train.  The 
sights  and  sounds  were  extremely  Oriental,  as,  by  star- 
light, the  camels  came  into  the  camp,  with  stately  tread 
to  the  music  of  the  bells  around  their  necks,  and  knelt 
to  be  relieved  of  their  burdens. 

Shechem  boasts  of  a  continuous  history,  reaching  back 
at  least  four  thousand  years.  It  was  one  of  the  cities 
of  refuge,  and  was  possessed  by  the  Levites, 
Here  Jacob  hid  the  idolatrous  ornaments  of 
his  followers  under  the  oak  which  is  by  Shechem,  and  in 
its  neighborhood  his  flocks  were  pastured  by  his  sons. 
Here  Joshua  assembled  the  tribes  and  made  a  covenant 
with  them  before  his  death.  Rehoboam  was  appointed 
king  in  Shechem.  Here  the  ten  tribes  revolted  and 
crowned  Jeroboam  their  first  king.  This  place  then  be- 
came the  temporary  capital  of  the  kingdom.  Our  camp 
was  strongly  guarded,  as  at  Engannim,  with  a  body  of 
soldiers  detailed  for  that  purpose. 

By  seven  o'clock  Friday  morning  we  had  broken  camp 


SHECHEM  TO  HOLY  CITY.  127 

and  were  In  the  saddle.  We  rode  through  the  principal 
streets  of  the  city,  whose  population  Is  thirty  thousand, 
Of  these,  three  hundred  are  Samaritans,  six  hundred, 
Christians,  two  hundred,  Hebrews  and  the  rest  Moham- 
medans. It  is  one  of  the  most  fanatical  Moslem  cities  In 
Palestine, 

The  city  lies  between  the  two  historic  mountains,  Ebal 
and  Gerizim.  I  had  strange  feelings,  as  I  passed  between 
these  mountains,  with  the  picture  of  the 
'  children  of  Israel  standing  in  the  valley, 
with  the  ark  of  God  In  the  midst  of  them,  to  hear  the 
reading  of  the  law — ^the  blessings  from  Gerizim,  on  the 
south,  and  the  cursings  from  Ebal,  on  the  north.  This 
position  was  eminently  favorable  for  that  purpose.  These 
mountains  formed  a  natural  amphitheatre,  from  which 
the  voice  of  the  readers  could  be  distinctly  heard  by  the 
vast  assembly  in  the  valley  between.  I  noticed  a  signifi- 
cant fact:  on  the  Mount  of  Cursing  there  were  barren 
rocks  cacti  and  thorns  while  the  Mount  of  Blessing  was 
clothed  with  grass  and  flowers. 

On  the  summit  of  Gerizim  is  an  altar,  where  the  Sa- 
maritans still  observe  the  feast  of  the  Passover.  Sur- 
rounded by  olive  groves,  orchards  and  gardens,  and 
watered  by  a  hundred  springs,  Shechem  has  a  situation 
which,  for  natural  scenery  and  advantages,  combined  with 
sacred  and  historic  associations,  is  second  to  none  in  the 
Holy  Land.  In  the  early  dawn  of  the  patriarchal  age, 
First  Altar  to    Abraham,  coming  over  Jordan,  rested  in  the 

Jehovah.  place  of  Shechem,  and  there  built  the  first 
altar  to  God  that  the  Holy  Land  had  ever  known.  By 
the  Israelites  it  was  regarded  as  a  holy  place  before  they 
entered  the  Promised  Land ;  for  then  and  there  God  had 
promised  Abraham,  "Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land." 


128  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Passing  to  the  eastward,  the  Vale  of  Shechem  opened 
out  before  us,  with  Jacob's  Well  in  full  view  below  the 
hill.  The  well,  with  the  gardens,  belongs  to  the  Greek 
Church.  The  grounds  are  enclosed  with  a  rock  wall.  In 
the  fourth  century  a  church  was  built  over  the  well,  upon 
whose  curbing  the  Messiah  sat  during  his  memorable 
interview  with  the  woman  of  Samaria.  Standing  outside 
of  the  church,  I  could  see  Sychar,  one  mile  distant, 
whither  the  disciples  had,  in  the  meantime,  gone  to  buy 
meat. 

As  I  looked  up  to  the  southwest  I  could  see,  on  Mount 
Gerizim,  the  place  of  the  Samaritan  altar.  I  pictured  the 
woman  pointing  to  Gerizim  as  she  said,  "Our  fathers 
v.'orshipped  in  this  mountain." 

The  identity  of  Jacob's  Well  is  beyond  dispute,  being 
recognized  by  Christians,  Jews,  Samaritans,  and  Moslems 
alike.  The  well  is  seventy-five  feet  deep,  and  seven  feet 
and  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  mouth  is  formed  of  a 
massive  stone,  eighteen  inches  thick,  with  a  circular  open- 
ing two  feet  seven  inches  in  diameter.  This  well  was  dug 
by  Jacob  when  he  pitched  his  tent  there,  and  "bought  a 
parcel  of  a  field"  from  Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem. 
There  he  erected  an  altar,  and  called  it  "el-Elohe-Israel." 
About  six  hundred  paces  northward,  toward  Sychar,  is 
Joseph's  tomb,  where  his  bones,  after  forty  years'  wan- 
dering, found  a  place  of  final  repose. 

Thence  we  rode  for  thirteen  miles  along  the  new  road 
toward  the  Holy  City,  up  the  Valley  of  Shechem,  from 
whence  Joseph  w^as  sent  by  his  father  to  inquire  after  the 
welfare  of  his  brothers,  wdiom  he  found  in  Dothan.  On 
our  left  we  passed  the  tomb  of  Eleazer,  the  son  of  Aaron. 
As  we  ascended  the  long  slope,  and  looked  back  over  the 
plain  of  Shechem,  we  were  again  delighted  with  an  ex- 
quisite landscape. 


SHECHEM  TO  HOLY  CITY.  129 

Soon  we  arrived  at  the  Khan  of  Lebonah,  where  we 
lunched  on  the  hillside,  not  far  from  the  spring,  in  the 
open  sunlight.  An  unhappy  episode  occurred  while  we 
were  at  lunch.  Two  of  our  muleteers  came  to  blows,  and 
the  dragoman  made  peace  by  vigorously  applying  a 
driver's  whip  which  he  carried  in  his  hand.  Lebonah  is 
mentioned  only  once  in  the  Scriptures :  the  Benjamites 
were  at  war  with  their  brethren^  who  had  sworn  not  to 
give  them  wives  of  their  daughters.  The  elders  of  the 
congregation  commanded  the  Benjamites  to  hide  them- 
selves in  the  vineyards  south  of  Lebonah, 

Fair  Captives.  ,  ,  ,  r     i         i  i 

and  capture  themselves  wives  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Shiloh,  who  came  out  to  celebrate  the  yearly  feast 
of  the  Lord  in  Shiloh, 

A  very  amusing  incident  occurred,  to  make  monotony 
impossible,  at  that  lunch  hour.  I  confess  to  have  laughed 
till  almost  breathless  at  the  ludicrous  spectacle  of  the  dig- 
nified editor  of  the  World  Evangel  scampering  up  the 
hillside  on  all  fours,  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  baggage 
train,  as  it  turned  aside  a  little  to  where  that  gentleman 
was  sitting  on  the  grass  and  shielding  himself  from  the 
sun  by  his  umbrella.  There  are  some  pictures  that  one 
cannot  forget! 

Just  after  leaving  Lebonah  we  were  indebted  to  one  of 
the  fair  members  of  our  party  for  a  very  unique  perform- 
ance. Not  satisfied  with  the  accomplishments  of  the  ordi- 
nary equestrian,  she  volunteered  to  entertain  us  with  an 
unusual  feat ;  for  while  we  were  merrily  riding  across  a 
plowed  field,  we  were  astonished,  on  looking  back,  to 
see  both  horse  and  rider  testing  the  softness  of  the  freshly 
broken  soil. 

Th  :  bridle  path  to  Shiloh  led  us  up  a  wild  canon.  On 
this  ride  I  dismounted  and  plucked  several  fine  specimens 


I30  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

of  the  black  calla-lily,  with  which  this  part  of  Palestine 
abounds.  Shiloh  occupies  a  position  where  three  canons 
meet.  There  was  no  place  more  sacred  to  the  people  of 
God  than  Shiloh.  In  Shiloh  the  whole  congregation  as- 
piace  of  the      scmbled,  and  set  up  the  Tabernacle.    There 

Tabernacle,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  remained  for  four 
hundred  years.  The  exact  location  of  the  tabernacle  was 
pointed  out  to  us.  The  rock  terrace  upon  which  the  taber- 
nacle rested  is  four  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long  by  sev- 
enty-seven feet  wide.  Shiloh  is  chiefly  memorable  for  its 
association  with  the  house  of  God,  though  it  is  also  dis- 
tinguished as  the  place  where  Joshua  completed  the  allot- 
ments of  the  tribes. 

A  great  annual  festival  in  honor  of  the  ark,  at  which 

it  was  the  custom  for  the  maidens  to  dance, 

was  held  at  Shiloh.     In  this  tabernacle  the 

child  Samuel  was  "lent  unto  the  Lord."     There  he  had 

his  early  vision,  and  grew  up  in  the  service  of  the  Lord's 

house. 

The  glory  of  Shiloh  departed  on  the  day  when  the  ark 
was  taken  in  battle  by  the  Philistines.  One  of  the  most 
pathetic  tragedies  in  sacred  history  is  that  of  Eli,  the  aged 
high  priest,  sitting  in  the  gate,  awaiting  tidings  from  the 
battle-field.  Upon  hearing  that  the  ark  of  God  was  taken, 
he  fell  from  his  seat,  backward,  and  died.  He  was  ninety 
and  eight,  and  had  judged  Israel  forty  years. 

The  destruction  of  the  ancient  Shiloh  is  so  complete 
that,  apart  from  the  foundations  of  the  tabernacle  and  the 
city  wall,  it  is  a  mass  of  shapeless  ruins. 

From  Shiloh  we  rode  down  the  mountain  side  into  the 
valley  below,  and  up  to  the  camping  ground  at  Sinjil. 
The  name,  Sinjil,  is  a  contraction  for  Saint  Giles,  Count 
of  Toulouse,  who  established  his  camp  there  on  his  way 


SHECHEM  TO  HOLY  CITY.  131 

to  Jerusalem.  This  camping  ground  is  at  the  end  of  the 
new  carriage  road  from  Jerusalem.  Our  tents  were  ready 
by  the  time  we  arrived,  and  we  had  five  o'clock  tea,  pre- 
paratory to  the  taking  of  the  photographs  of  the  party. 
The  photographer  had  come  out  from  Jerusalem  for  that 
purpose. 

There  we  were  surprised  and  delighted  by  our  first  mail 
in  Palestine.  None  but  those  who  have  had  the  experi- 
ence can  fully  realize  what  it  meant  to  us  to  receive  letters 
from  home,  in  a  foreign  country,  under  such  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances. We  had  had  no  mail  since  we  left  Constanti- 
nople, more  than  two  weeks  before.  One  thing  should 
be  mentioned  here,  the  pilgrimage  of  the  Russian  Ortho- 
dox Pilgrims,  whom  we  met  on  their  way  from  the  Easter 
festival  at  Jerusalem.  They  were  going  on  foot  to  visit 
Nazareth,  and  return  to  Jerusalem  by  Ascension  Sunday. 

Saturday  morning,  April  i6th,  we  rose  early,  and  were 
off  at  six  o'clock  for  the  Holy  City,  We  had  the  fine 
government  road  upon  which  to  ride  all  the  way.  The 
fresh  morning  air  was  bracing  and  delightful.  The  still- 
ness of  the  early  hours  was  eloquent.  The  only  living 
creatures  we  saw  were  the  birds  on  the  mountains  on  our 
right  and  left ;  the  only  sounds  were  the  carolling  of  these 
sweet  songsters  and  the  howling  of  the  foxes  and  jackals 
among  the  rocks,  in  search  of  their  morning  prey.  The 
temperature  made  overcoats  and  gloves  most  comfortable. 

On  the  way,  in  a  deep  ravine,  we  passed  the  historic 
Robbers'  Fountain,  where  the  Bedouins  used  to  relieve 
travellers  of  their  surplus  belongings.  Only  a  short  time 
ago  travellers  without  an  armed  escort  never  passed  the 
Robbers'  Fountain  with  their  life  and  property.  We  con- 
tinued our  ridte  for  several  miles,  till  we  came  to  a  dim 
Bedouin  trail,  which  led  to  Bethel,  on  the  east  of  the 
king's  highway. 


132  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Bethel  is  situated  on  a  rocky  ridge,  lying  between  two 
valleys  that  meet  just  below.  There  Abraham  pitched  his 
Bethel.  tent,    and    erected    an    altar,    on    leaving 

Shechem.  After  his  visit  to  Egypt  he  returned  to  Bethel, 
unto  the  place  of  the  altar,  and  called  on  the  name  of 
ihe  Lord.  In  that  place  Jacob,  the  grandson  of  Abraham, 
spent  a  night  on  his  way  to  Padan-Aram.  There  he  had 
his  remarkable  dream  of  the  ladder  reaching  from  earth 
to  heaven,  on  which  the  angels  of  God  were  ascending 
and  descending.  In  commemoration  of  this  vision  Jacob 
erected  a  pillar  out  of  the  stones  used  for  his  pillow  the 
night  before.  This  he  called  Bethel,  but  "Luz  was  the 
name  of  the  city  at  the  first."  On  his  return  from  Haran, 
more  than  twenty  years  later,  with  his  family,  servants, 
flocks,  and  herds,  he  encamped  at  Bethel,  and  rebuilt  the 
altar  of  Abraham.  Then  Jehovah  appeared  a  second  time 
unto  him,  and  reaffirmed  the  promise  which  he  had  made 
with  Abraham.  During  this  interview  the  Lord  confirmed 
the  change  of  Jacob's  name  to  Israel.  Beneath  Bethel, 
under  an  oak,  Deborah,  Rebekah's  nurse,  was  buried. 
During  the  period  of  the  war  between  the  Benjamites 
and  the  other  tribes  the  tabernacle  was  at  Bethel.  Within 
that  time  all  Israel  went  to  ask  counsel  of  God. 

Bethel  was  one  of  the  four  cities  on  the  circuit  of  the 
prophet  Samuel,  where  he  went  to  judge  Israel  from  year 
to  year.  There  was  one  of  the  most  noted  of  the  theo- 
logical seminaries,  known  as  the  "schools  of  the  proph- 
ets." The  prophet  Elijah  paid  a  visit  to  this  school  on 
the  day  of  his  translation.  A  large  tower  and  the  ruins 
of  a  church  of  the  crusaders  are  all  that  is  left  of  that 
First  Sight  of     world-rcnowncd  city.    From  the  top  of  the 

Holy  City.  tower  we  had  our  first  glimpse  of  Olivet 
and  Jerusalem.    There  is  a  small  group  of  humble  houses 


SHECHEM  TO  HOLY  CITY.  133 

at  Bethel,  with  little  to  commend  them  to  the  traveller. 
The  appearance  of  the  whole  site  of  this  historic  city  is 
rocky  and  barren.  Except  for  the  marks  left  upon  the 
stones  by  the  ancient  stone-cutters,  the  ruins  of  Bethel 
would  not  be  distinguishable  from  any  other  shapeless 
mass  of  broken  rock,  on  the  mountain  side. 

Only  a  part  of  our  company  made  the  detour  to  Bethel. 
The  rest  went  directly  via  Beeroth  to  Ramah,  where  we 
were  to  take  lunch.  From  Bethel  we  rode  to  Ramah, 
leaving  Beeroth  on  the  right.  On  the  way  we  passed 
some  old  pools,  threshing  floors  and  wine  presses.  At  a 
natural  stone  spring  I  stopped  to  water  my  horse  and 
gather  some  maiden-hair  ferns. 

Beeroth  is  an  attractive  village,  finely  located,  with 
something  over  one  thousand  inhabitants.  This  is  one  of 
the  four  cities  of  the  Gibeonites,  who,  by  a  stratagem, 
secured  a  league  with  Joshua  after  the  capture  of  the 
city  of  Ai.  At  noon  we  joined  forces  at  Ramah,  where 
we  lunched  under  the  blossoming  apple  trees. 

Ramah  is  a  large  village,  altogether  Christian.  About 
two-thirds  of  the  population  are  Greek  Orthodox,  the 
other  third  being  divided  between  the  Romanists  and 
Protestants.  There  is  a  successful  Protestant  mission. 
Mission  at  including  a  good  school,  in  Ramah.  The 
Ramah.  situation  of  Ramah  is  conspicuous,  and  com- 
mands a  wide  prospect.  This  was  one  of  the  court  cities 
where  Samuel  judged  Israel.  At  Ramah  the  prophet 
Jeremiah  was  imprisoned,  at  the  time  of  the  captivity,  and 
held  in  chains,  till  his  release  and  return  to  the  governor 
at  Mizpeh.  Elkanah  and  Hannah  had  their  home  here; 
and  it  was  the  place  of  the  birth,  residence,  death  and 
burial  of  Samuel.  As  I  walked  across  an  orchard  I  noticed 
many  large  squared  stones  and  broken  columns,  indicating 


134  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

that  there  had  once  been  buildings  of  great  importance 
on  that  site. 

There  was  no  time  lost  in  getting  started  after  lunch. 

Every  one's  face  was  eagerly  turned  toward  Jerusalem. 
So  we  urged  our  horses  to  a  quickened  pace,  entering  the 
city  by  the  Damascus  road.  One  has  strange  impressions 
on  the  occasion  of  one's  first  sight  of  the  Holy  City.  A 
flood  of  memories  comes  rushing  over  you  until  you  are 
overwhelmed,  and  the  inclination  is  to  pass  the  time  in 
silence. 

On  our  right,  as  we  approached  the  city,  we  saw  Mizpeh, 
the  place  where  Saul  was  chosen  and  crowned  first  king 
of  Israel.  On  our  left  was  Gibeah,  the  birthplace  of  Saul. 
A  little  further  oii,  to  the  right,  was  the  city  of  Nob, 
v/here  David  ate  the  shewbread  and  secured  Goliath's 
sword,  as  he  fled  from  the  face  of  Saul.  On  we  passed, 
by  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  and  through  the  modern  city, 
outside  of  the  walls. 

McLaurin  and  I  were  assigned  to  the  Hotel  Central, 
Within  the        inside  of  the  old  city,  and  passed  in,  through 

City  Walls,  the  Joppa  Gate,  by  the  Tower  of  David.  A 
detailed  account  of  our  visit  will  be  postponed  till  our 
return  from  the  Jordan  Valley. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
Jericho  and  Gilgal. 

MONDAY,  April  i8th,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
we  took  carriages  for  our  journey  to  the  Dead  Sea, 
Jordan  and  Jericho.  The  new  carriage  road  is  a  splendid 
one  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho.  The  distance  is  twenty 
miles.  In  places  it  is  very  dangerous  for  wheeled  vehicles, 
because  the  descent  is  so  great.  The  highest  point  in 
Jerusalem  is  about  twenty-six  hundred  feet  above  sea 
level,  while  the  surface  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  a  little  over 
thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  This 
makes  a  total  descent  of  thirty-nine  hundred  feet  from 
Jerusalem  to  the  Dead  Sea.  The  overturning  of  carriages 
is  a  frequent  occurrence  on  the  trip. 

We  were  escorted  by  two  armed  Bedouin  guides.  These 
joined  us  at  Bethphage,  and  continued  with  us  throughout 
the  Jordan  trip.  For  a  distance  of  about  seven  miles  from 
Jerusalem  there  was  a  great  variety  of  wild  flowers. 
After  that  the  country  became  more  and  more  dreary  and 
barren.  We  passed  through  the  heart  of  the  wilderness 
of  Judea. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of  any  region  more 

desolate  than  that  through  which  we  passed,  and  int6 

Scene  of  which  Jcsus  was   led  of  the   Spirit  to  be 

Temptation,  tempted  of  the  Devil.  The  awful  character 
of  the  temptation  of  our  Lord  makes  its  impression  here 
as  it  could  under  no  other  circumstances,  as  you  look 
upon  the  wild,  forsaken  hills,  where,  for  a  period  of  forty 
days  and  forty  nights  the  Master  was  alone  with  the  wild 


136  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

beasts,  as  he  wrestled  with  the  Evil  One  in  his  fiercest 
assaults.  The  mount  which  tradition  has  settled  upon  as 
the  scene  of  the  temptation  was  pointed  out  to  us.  A  cir- 
cular high  stone  wall  encloses  the  summit  and  marks 
the  place. 

On  the  wayside  a  camel  caravan  from  the  land  of  Moab, 
east  of  the  Jordan,  was  resting  on  the  journey.  The 
heavy  sacks  of  grain  were  lying  upon  the  ground,  while 
the  tired  beasts  of  burden  were  scattered  over  the  neigh- 
boring hills,  some  of  them  lying  prostrate,  others  brows- 
ing upon  the  cacti,  thorns  and  scant  dead  grass. 

After  a  three  hours'  ride,  we  halted  for  a  rest  to  the 
horses  at  the  Inn  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  This  khan  is 
built  upon  the  supposed  site  of  the  inn  to  which  the  trav- 
eller who  fell  among  thieves  was  brought  by  the  Good 
Samaritan.  This  part  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea  has  al- 
ways had  the  reputation  of  being  infested  with  outlaws 
from  the  Moab  country.  Indeed,  it  would  be  worth  a 
man's  life  to  travel  through  that  district  unprotected. 

While  the  horses  were  resting  at  the  Good  Samaritan 
Inn,  I  climbed  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain  near  by,  and 
explored  the  extensive  ruins  of  an  old  Roman  watch 
tower.  This  tower  was  placed  here  to  protect  the  lives 
of  travellers  along  this,  the  most  dangerous  road  in  all 
of  Palestine.  From  that  tower  we  had  our  last  view  of 
Mount  Hermon,  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant,  as  the 
crow  flies. 

On  leaving  the  khan  a  great  prospect  opened  before 
us.  The  mountains  of  Moab  and  Gilead  stretched  from 
north  to  south,  beyond  the  Jordan  Valley,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  Of  course,  the  most  inter- 
esting peak  of  the  Nebo  range  was  Mount 
Pisgah,  on  whose  summit  Moses  talked  with  God  as  a 


JERICHO  AND  GILGAL.  137 

man  talketh  with  his  friend.  From  that  lofty  height  the 
great  leader  and  law-giver  of  Israel  viewed  the  Land  of 
Promise,  into  which  he  was  not  permitted  to  lead  the 
children  of  Israel  because  he  had  spoken  unadvisedly  with 
his  lips.  There  God  kissed  away  his  breath,  and  with  his 
own  hand  buried  him ;  "and  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepul- 
chre unto  this  day." 

Several  miles  further  on  we  reached  one  of  the  grandest 

canons  in  the  Holy  Land.     It  was    the   brook    Cherith, 

Fed  by  the       where  Elijah  was  fed  by  the  ravens  during 

Ravens.  the  first  months  of  the  three  and  a  half 

years'  famine  in  the  land.  This  ravine,  at  its  greatest 
depth,  is  more  than  five  hundred  feet.  It  is  so  narrow 
that  there  is  barely  room  for  the  brook  to  run  in  the 
channel  which  it  has  cut  through  the  rock.  The  Greek 
Monastery  of  St.  George  is  built  upon  the  site  of  the 
cave  of  Elijah.  This  monastery  literally  clings  to  the  side 
of  a  perpendicular  precipice,  and  is  peculiarly  wild  and 
picturesque.  It  is  approached  by  a  footpath  from  the 
mouth  of  the  glen,  where  it  opens  into  the  valley  of  Jeri- 
cho. Hermits  still  occupy  this  place.  I  was  informed 
that  it  was  used  as  a  kind  of  house  of  correction,  where 
refractory  monks  would  have  time  to  meditate  and  to 
mend  their  ways. 

Along  this  ravine  for  the  next  five  miles  the  descent 
of  the  road  is  nearly  fourteen  hundred  feet.  We  entered 
the  plain  by  two  old  ruined  towers,  which  were  used  to 
defend  the  Jericho  Valley  against  the  Bedouin  bandits, 
who  dwelt  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  hill  country.  These 
towers  of  defence  guarded  the  mountain  pass  which  led 
from  the  plain  westward  toward  the  Mediterranean. 

There  have  been  three  Jerichos  of  history :  the  one  of 
Joshua's  time,  the  one  of  the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  the 


138  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  Three  modern  city  by  that  name.  The  Jericho  of 
jerichos.  Herod  lay  directly  to  the  east  of  this  great 
military  gate,  and  very  near  to  it.  This  city,  standing 
as  it  did  at  the  entrance  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  com- 
manded the  strongest  position,  as  none  could  pass  either 
east  or  west  by  any  other  road.  The  ruins  of  the  system 
of  aqueducts,  the  reservoir,  and  some  public  buildings,  all 
point  to  a  prosperous  city  which  occupied  this  site  two 
millenniums  ago. 

The  Jericho  of  the  time  of  Joshua  was  called  in  Old 
Testament  history  the  City  of  Palm  Trees.  Likewise,  the 
Jericho  of  the  New  Testament  was  so  styled.  Anthony 
gave  this  city  to  Cleopatra,  who  sold  it  to  Herod  the  Great. 
The  most  prosperous  period  of  the  history  of  the  place 
was  after  it  came  into  possession  of  Herod,  who  for- 
tified the  city,  adorned  it  with  a  palace,  and  made  it  his 
winter  home.  This  was  one  of  the  cities  visited  by  our 
Lord.  Here  Zacchseus  the  Publican  lived.  At  his  house 
Jesus  was  a  guest  on  one  occasion.  At  the  gate  of  this 
city  blind  Bartimseus  sat  by  the  wayside  begging.  As 
we  passed  in  and  out  through  this  gate,  we  could  easily 
picture  the  meeting  of  the  Great  Physician  with  the  blind 
man,  whose  sight  he  gave  back  to  him.  No  less  thar 
seven  times  is  the  Jericho  of  this  period  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament.  It  was  destroyed  by  Titus,  the 
Roman  general,  in  70  A.  D. 

Before  lunch  we  drove  to  the  site  of  ancient  Jericho. 
This  was  the  first  city  of  the  Canaanites  conquered  by 
Joshua  on  entering  the  Promised  Land.  One  of  the  thrill- 
ing incidents  in  the  history  of  the  old  city  was  the  visit 
of  the  two  men  sent  from  Shittim  by  Joshua  to  spy  out 
the  land  secretly.  The  spies  sought  lodging  at  the  house 
of  Rahab,  an  innkeeper,  as  the  Hebrew  Word  "Zona" 


JERICHO  AND  GILGAL.  139 

indicates.  The  king,  upon  hearing  of  the  presence  of 
the  strangers  in  the  city,  traced  them  to  Rahab's  house, 
upon  the  wall,  intent  upon  putting  them  to  death.  With 
Rahab's  kindness  and  the  success  of  her  scheme  for  their 
deliverance,  all  are  perfectly  familiar.  In  the  fall  of  Jeri- 
cho, Rahab  was  rewarded  for  this  act  by  her  life  and 
the  lives  of  her  relatives  being  spared.  This  Canaanitish 
woman  became  the  wife  of  Salmon,  a  prince  of  Judah. 
and  the  mother  of  Boaz,  of  whose  line,  out  of  the  stem  of 
Jesse,  sprang  David's  Greater  Son. 

There  are  in  the  ruins  of  Jericho  many  traces  of  the 

splendor  of  the  city  of  those  very  early  times.     It  was 

situated  at  the  base  of  the  Judean  hills,  not  more  than  six 

miles  from  the  fords  of  the  Jordan,  and  eight,  from  the 

Eiisha's  Dead  Sea.    The  most  interesting  feature  of 

Fountain.  the  Site  is  Elisha's  Fountain,  into  which  the 
prophet  cast  the  salt  and  cleansed  its  deadly  waters.  I 
drank  of  the  spring,  out  of  a  cup  borrowed  from  an  Arab 
who  kept  a  refreshment  stand  near  by.  I  can,  therefore, 
testify  that  the  waters  are  "healed  unto  this  day,  accord- 
ing to  the  saying  of  Elisha,  which  he  spake."  The  spring 
measures  twenty-four  by  forty  feet,  with  a  depth  of  about 
six  feet.  It  is  enclosed  with  a  rock  and  cement  wall.  The 
water  is  conducted,  by  means  of  a  canal,  walled  up  after 
the  same  fashion,  to  an  old  grist  mill,  not  one  hundred 
yards  away.  This  old  mill  is  running  at  the  present  day, 
and  looks  like  it  might  have  been  in  operation  for  ages. 
After  the  water  has  accomplished  this  purpose,  it  is  con- 
veyed in  several  smaller  ditches,  and  made  to  do  the  work 
of  irrigating  the  fields  and  gardens. 

Josephus,  the  Jewish  historian,  called  the  plain  of  Jeri- 
cho the  most  fertile  tract  of  Judea.  He  declared  that 
Elisha's  fountain  watered  a  tract  of  land  measuring  two 


140  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

and  a  half  miles  wide  by  eight  miles  long,  "covered  with 
luxuriant  gardens  and  palm  groves." 

Of  all  this  former  productiveness  but  few  traces  re- 
main. I  saw  not  a  single  palm  tree  on  the  entire  plain. 
The  beautiful  oleanders  and  roses,  with  the  abundant  pro- 
ducts of  the  vegetable  gardens,  convinced  me  that,  with 
proper  care,  this  region  would  yet  blossom  as  a  garden 
of  roses.  The  deep  depression  of  the  plain  renders  the 
climate  tropical.  The  thermometer  in  the  summer  time 
ranges  from  loo  to  ii8  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  secret 
of  its  phenomenal  yield  was  water  and  cultivation.  About 
the  site  of  the  old  city  are  to  be  seen  a  few  scattered  mud- 
huts,  not  at  all  attractive  to  the  visitor,  nor  such  as  he 
would  care  to  remember. 

Universal  interest  attaches  to  the  historic  record  of  the 
unique  attack  upon  Jericho  by  the  Israelites  under  the 
leadership  of  Joshua.  The  simple  story  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  at  the  command  of  Jehovah,  marching  around  the 
walls  of  the  fortified  city  for  seven  successive  days,  and 
its  final  overthrow,  became  very  vivid  as  I  stood  and 
studied  it  on  the  ground.  This  city  was  rebuilt  during 
Ahab's  reign  by  Hiel  the  Bethelite.  He  "laid  the  founda- 
tion thereof  in  Abiram,  his  firstborn,  and  set  up  the  gates 
thereof  in  his  youngest  son,  Segub,  according  to  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  by  Joshua,  the  son  of 
Nun."  In  this  restored  city  there  existed  one  of  the 
schools  of  the  prophets.  Ancient  Jericho  commanded  the 
pass  which  led  up  to  Bethel,  only  a  few  miles  to  the  north. 

From  Elisha's  Fountain  we  drove  to  the  place  of  our 
sojourn,  Gilgal  Hotel,  in  modern  Jericho.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  this  place  worthy  of  special  mention.  There  is 
a  considerable  number  of  wretched  hovels  built  of  mud 
and  straw,  interspersed  with  dark,  dingy  Bedouin  Arab 


JERICHO  AND  GILGAL.  141 

tents.  This  constitutes  the  residence  portion  of  the  vil- 
lage. Our  hotel  was  a  stone  building,  and  very  clean  and 
comfortable.  This  and  three  other  hotels,  with  the  Rus- 
sian convent,  are  the  only  buildings  of  any  importance 
there.  The  inhabitants  are  far  from  prepossessing,  being 
of  a  very  degraded  type  of  Arabians.  Throughout  this 
place  are  found  impenetrable  thorn  hedges.  Bananas, 
oranges,  figs — ^all  tropical  fruits — flourish  here. 

After  the  destruction  of  the  Herodian  Jericho  it  was 
rebuilt  on  the  same  site  by  Justinian,  and  again  destroyed 
by  the  Arabs.  Mediaeval  Jericho  was  built  by  the  Cru- 
saders, on  the  site  of  the  poor  village  now  bearing  the 
name  of  Modern  Jericho.  This  town  is  near  the  place 
where  the  ancient  city  of  Gilgal  stood. 

We  passed  through  Gilgal  on  the  way  to  the  Dead  Sea 
and  on  returning  from  the  Ford  of  Jordan.  The  identity 
of  the  site  is  unquestioned.  There  are  a  few  traces  of 
antiquity  here,  among  which  are  fragments  of  red  granite 
and  fountains  of  unhewn  stones.  This  was  the  place  of 
The  Promised       Joshua's  first  encampment  after  the  children 

Land.  of    Israel    had    crossed    the    Jordan.     The 

Israelites  pitched  their  tents  here  three  days  before  the 
Passover.  The  name  Gilgal  signifies  "rolling  away,"  for 
here  God  rolled  away  the  reproach  of  Egypt  from  them, 
on  the  occasion  of  their  rendering  obedience  to  the  divine 
command,  neglected  for  so  long  a  time.  "And  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  encamped  in  Gilgal,  and  kept  the  passover 
on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  month,  at  even  in  the  plains 
of  Jericho.  And  they  did  eat  of  the  old  corn  of  the  land 
on  the  morrow  after  the  passover,  unleavened  cakes  and 
parched  corn  in  the  self-same  day.  And  the  manna  ceased 
on  the  morrow  after  they  had  eaten  of  the  old  corn  of 
the  land;  neither  had  the  children  of  Israel  manna  any 


142  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

more ;  but  did  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan  that 
year.  This  was  their  first  Passover  in  the  Promised 
Land.  They  set  up  the  tabernacle  in  Gilgal,  where  it 
rested  during  the  long  wars  with  the  seven  heathen  na- 
tions of  Palestine,  till  its  removal  to  Shiloh. 

From  Gilgal  the  hosts  of  Israel  made  their  successful 
attack  upon  Jericho.  The  proclamation  of  Saul,  as  king 
of  Israel,  was  ratified  at  Gilgal ;  and  here  the  first  king 
of  Israel  incurred  the  divine  displeasure  in  offering  sacri- 
fices before  the  arrival  of  Samuel.  There,  too,  he  received 
the  sentence  of  his  rejection  for  disobeying  the  express 
command  of  Jehovah  in  sparing  the  king  of  the  Amalek- 
ites  and  the  best  of  their  cattle.  At  God's  order,  Samuel 
hewed  the  king,  Agag,  in  pieces  before  the  Lord,  with  the 
awful  sentence,  "As  thy  sword  hath  made  w^omen  child- 
less, so  shall  thy  mother  be  childless  among  women." 
This  was  one  of  the  cities  on  the  circuit  of  Samuel  where 
he  annually  judged  the  people. 


i) 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Dead  Sea  and  Jordan. 

AFTER  leaving  Gilgal,  we  drove  directly  across  the 
Vale  of  Siddim,  over  the  supposed  site  of  Sodor^ 
and  Gomorrah,  to  the  Dead  Sea.  There  are  several 
names  by  which  this  body  of  water  has  been  known  in 
history.  The  Hebrews  called  it  the  "Sea  of  Salt,"  the 
"Sea  of  the  Plain,"  and  the  "East  Sea ;"  the  Greeks  styled 
it  "Lake  Asphaltites,"  the  Romans  gave  it  the  name  of 
the  "Dead  Sea,"  while  the  Arabs  of  to-day  call  it  "Bahr 
Lut,"  or  the  "Sea  of  Lot." 

Between  Jericho  and  the  Dead  Sea  the  road  traverses 
a  barren  waste.  The  surface  is  diversified  with  hillocks 
and  corresponding  depressions,  which  irregularity  renders 
driving  over  the  plain  quite  difficult.  The  scriptural 
record  states  that  the  Vale  of  Siddim  was  full  of  slime 
Sodom  and        pits.    An   able  author   says- that   any  one 

Gomorrah.  -vvho  has  ridden  from  Jericho  to  the  Dead 
Sea  after  rainy  weather  would  know  how  exactly  that 
district  answers  to  the  above  description.  The  Dead  Sea 
is  the  most  remarkable  sheet  of  water  in  the  world.  Its 
surface  is  the  lowest  depression  upon  the  face  of  the 
globe.  It  is  1,312  feet  below  sea  level,  with  a  depth  of 
1,308  feet.  Its  length  is  fifty-three  miles,  while  its  great- 
est breadth  is  ten  miles.  The  average  depth  of  the  south- 
ern portion  is  fifteen  feet,  and  the  greatest  depth  is  to- 
ward the  north  end. 

I  approached  the  Dead  Sea  with  breathless  interest.  I 
had   expected  to  find  a  very  unattractive  lake,   whose 


144  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

waters  were  thick,  slimy,  and  covered  with  an  oily  scum. 
Imagine  my  delight  when  I  looked  upon  the  beautiful 
mirror,  as  it  stretched  beyond  the  limit  of  vision  to  the 
southward.  Its  waters  were  clear  and  inviting,  and  its 
clearness  proved  irresistible.  I  walked  for  some  distance 
on  the  north  shore  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Jordan.  I 
have  never  seen  a  more  beautiful  beach,  strewn  as  it  was 
with  millions  of  tons  of  small,  water-worn  stones. 

I  greatly  enjoyed  a  bath  in  the  sea.  The  sensation  was 
peculiar  when  I  found  myself  unable  to  sink  below  the 
surface.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  water  is  so  great 
that  the  human  body  must  float.  Drowning  would  be 
entirely  possible  in  the  Dead  Sea,  on  account  of  the 
great  disparity  between  the  weights  of  the  head  and  of 
the  body.  The  process  then  would  be  by  strangulation, 
and  could  take  place  only  when  the  subject  was  unable  to 
control  the  position  of  the  head.  When  maintaining  an 
upright  position,  about  two-fifths  of  the  body  would  stand 
above  the  surface.  I  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to 
swim;  but  with  the  greatest  ease  I  floated  far  out  and 
back  several  times,  using  my  hands  and  arms  as  oars. 
More  than  once  I  filled  my  mouth  with  the  sea  water 
to  test  its  saltness.  I  found  it  disagreeably  bitter  and 
pungent.  It  produces  a  sharp,  stinging  effect  upon  the 
skin,  and  most  bathers  carry  with  them  a  supply  of  fresh 
water,  with  which  to  get  rid  of  the  somewhat  unpleasant 
irritation.  The  water  is  strongly  impregnated  with  mag- 
nesium and  soda  salts.  Its  specific  gravity  reaches  1,227, 
as  compared  with  pure  water  at  1,000.  It  contains  eight 
times  as  much  salt  as  ordinary  sea  water.  Any  three 
pounds  of  this  liquid  will  yield  one  pound  of  solid  salts. 

The  Dead  Sea  has  no  outlet,  and  is  fed  by  the  Jordan 
and  innumerable  brooks  and  springs  from  the  rugged, 


DEAD  SEA  AND  JORDAN.  145 

mountainous  shores,  both  on  the  east  and  west.  The  ex- 
treme saltness  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  due  chiefly  to  the  phe- 
nomenally rapid  evaporation.  Great  deposits  of  pure 
asphalt  are  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea;  hence  the 
name  "Lacus  Asphaltites."  Thick  layers  of  salt  are  found 
distributed  along  the  coast,  particularly  toward  the  south. 
Every  stick  of  drift-wood  and  stone  on  the  beach  is 
heavily  incrusted  with  a  salt  formation.  I  gathered  a 
pocketful  of  little,  smooth  stones  from  the  beach,  to  find, 
after  reaching  home,  that  the  salt  could  be  detected  with 
both  the  senses  of  touch  and  taste. 

The  coast  line  is  very  irregular,  ragged,  wild  and  pre- 
cipitous. The  limestone  and  chalk  cliffs  rise  perpendicu- 
larly to  a  height  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet  on  the  west 
and  two  thousand  feet  on  the  east.  The  shape  of  the 
Dead  Sea  is  that  of  an  irregular  oval.  No  living  creature 
can  exist  in  this  water,  which  phenomenon  gave  to  the 
Dea  Sea  its  popular  name.  However,  the  current  belief 
that  it  is  enveloped  with  a  deadly  atmosphere  is  entirely 
erroneous ;  for  animals  live  near  its  shore  with  comfort, 
while  birds  fly  over  it,  and  even  float  upon  its  bosom,  with 
impunity. 

The  level  of  the  surface  of  the  Dead  Sea  varies  slightly 
with  the  seasons,  depending  both  upon  the  rainfall  in  the 
entire  Jordan  basin,  and  the  temperature,  which  controls 
the  evaporation. 

The  Ford  of  the  river  Jordan  was  the  next  place  visited. 

This  is  about  six  miles  from  where  it  empties  into  the 

Dea  Sea,  and,  because  of  its  direction  from 

Jordan  Passed.        t      •    i  ■        i    r-     •     i       t  i  i  i 

Jericho,  is  definitely  located  as  the  place 
where  the  Israelites  crossed.  "And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
the  people  removed  from  their  tents  to  pass  over  Jordan, 
and  the  priests  bearing  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  before 


146  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  people ;  and  as  they  that  bare  the  ark  were  come  unto 
Jordan,  and  the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare  the  ark  were 
dipped  in  the  brim  of  the  water,  (for  the  Jordan  over- 
floweth  all  his  banks  all  the  time  of  harvest,)  that  the 
waters  which  came  down  from  above  stood  and  rose  up 
upon  a  heap  very  far  from  the  city  of  Adam,  that  is  beside 
Zaretan :  and  those  that  came  down  toward  the  sea  of 
the  plain,  even  the  Salt  Sea,  failed,  and  were  cut  off ;  and 
the  people  passed  over  right  against  Jericho.  And  the 
priests  that  bare  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  of  the  Lord 
stood  firm  on  dry  ground  in  the  midst  of  Jordan,  and  all 
the  Israelites  passed  over  on  dry  ground  until  all  the  peo- 
ple were  passed  clean  over  Jordan." 

The  Jordan  crossing  is  about  six  miles  due  east  from 
ancient  Jericho.  At  the  ford  the  river  is  not  over  two 
hundred  feet  wide.  At  the  deepest  place  in  this  crossing 
it  is  about  twenty-five  feet,  the  current  being  very  swift. 
Part  of  our  company  went  boat-riding  in  the  skiffs  kept 
at  the  landing,  and  used  as  ferry  and  pleasure  boats. 

Some  of  us  wended  our  way  through  the  tamarisk  (or 
salt  cedar)  trees  and  oleanders,  to  a  point  some  distance 
up  the  river.  There  we  plunged  into  the  rapid,  muddy 
stream  for  a  vigorous  swim.  There  were  two  of  us  that 
had  the  temerity  to  swim  to  the  opposite  bank.  The 
Kansas  and  Texas  representatives  met  on  the  Moab  bor- 
der. The  swiftness  of  the  current  made  it  necessary  for 
us  to  allow  for  being  carried  several  yards  down  stream 
by  the  time  we  had  reached  the  other  side.  The  waters 
were  a  reddish  brown,  due  to  the  extreme  muddiness  at 
that  season,  it  being  a  little  after  harvest  time.  I  was 
surprised  to  find  that  I  could  not  see  my  hand  more  than 
six  inches  under  the  surface. 

While  I  stood  under  the  spreading  willows  on  the  bank 


.>^ 


X 


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4^J 


X 


V 


DEAD  SEA  AND  JORDAN.  147 

of  the  sacred  river,  and  thought  of  the  passage  of  God's 
chosen  people  through  it  into  the  Land  of  Promise,  I  was 
deeply  impressed  with  the  beauty  and  forcefulness  of  their 
crossing  as  an  illustration  of  the  translation  of  the  spir- 
itual Israel  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  to 
the  shores  of  the  heavenly  Canaan, 

The  Jordan  river  is  the  largest  and  most  celebrated 
stream  in  Palestine.  It  rises  in  the  Anti-Lebanon  range, 
World's  Greatest  f rom  four  main  sources,  the  chief  of  which 

Spring.  is  near  Csesarea  Philippi.     This  is  said  to 

be  the  largest  spring  in  the  world.  Dan,  the  most  north- 
erly city  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  was  situated  near  this 
spring.  Between  this  and  the  Waters  of  Merom  the  river 
descends  1,434  feet.  The  "Waters  of  Merom"  is  the 
smallest  and  first  of  three  lakes  supplied  by  the  waters 
of  the  Jordan.  For  the  next  nine  miles  the  fall  is  867 
feet,  a  veritable  cataract,  till  it  rests  in  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
From  the  Sea  of  Tiberias  to  its  destination  in  the  Dead 
Sea  the  descent  is  more  than  seven  hundred  feet. 

While  a  direct  line  between  Galilee  and  the  Dead  Sea 
would  measure  about  sixty-five  miles,  the  course  of  the 
Jordan  is  so  serpentine  that  its  actual  length  is  two  hun- 
dred miles.  Thus,  in  a  direct  course  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  miles,  this  wonderful  river  has  a  fall  of  three 
thousand  feet.  The  Jordan  river  traverses  the  entire 
length  of  Palestine,  from  the  northern  to  the  southern 
boundaries. 

The  valley  drained  by  the  Jordan  is  the  most  remark- 
able on  the  earth's  surface.  There  is  nothing  like  it  any- 
where else.  No  language  could  so  well  descri'Be  the  un- 
paralleled character  of  this  valley  as  the  simple  statement 
that  between  the  summit  of  Hermon  and  the  bottom  of 
the  Dea3  Sea  there  is  a  difference  of  more  than  twelve 


148  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

thousand  six  hundred  feet.  From  this  fact  it  will  appear 
that  the  climate  ranges  from  snow  in  early  summer  to 
the  heat  of  the  tropics. 

Near  the  ford  is  a  wide  border  of  willows,  oleanders 
and  tamarisks.  There  is  a  perfect  jungle  of  canes  and 
underbrush. 

In  this  entangled  thicket,  so  conveniently  planted  near 
the  cooling  stream,  and  removed  from  the  habitations  of 
men,  the  wild  boar,  the  leopard,  the  hyena  and  the 
Bedouin  robber  find  a  congenial  lurking  place.  Formerly 
the  Arabian  lion  had  his  lair  there.  This  circumstance 
gave  occasion  for  the  beautiful  allusion  of  the  prophet 
Jeremiah :  "He  shall  come  up  like  a  lion  from  the  swell- 
ing of  Jordan,  against  the  habitation  of  the  strong."  This 
figure  is  highly  poetical  and  striking.  It  would  not  be 
easy  to  present  to  the  mind  an  image  more  terrible  than 
that  of  a  lion,  roused  from  his  den  by  the  roar  of  the 
swelling  river,  and  chafed  and  irritated  by  its  rapid  and 
successive  encroachments,  quitting  his  chosen  haunts. 
Forced  to  leave  his  last  retreat,  he  ascends  to  the  higher 
grounds  of  the  open  country,  and  turns  the  fierceness  of 
his  rage  against  the  helpless  sheepcotes  or  unsuspecting- 
villagers. 

A  destroyer  equally  fierce,  cruel  and  irresistible,  the 
devoted  Edomites  were  to  find  in  Nebuchadnezzar  and 
his  armies. 

One  thing  that  surprised  and  delighted  me  was  the 
sweet  chorus  of  the  birds,  whose  notes  are  as  captivating 
in  the  Jordan  Valley  as  anywhere  in  our  own  beloved 
Southland. 

On  our  drive  back  to  Jericho,  a  short  distance  above 
the  ford,  we  passed  the  church  and  monastery  of  St.  John 
the    Baptist.     These    institutions   belong    to    the    Greek 


DEAD  SEA  AND  JORDAN.  149 

Church,  and  are  intended  to  mark  the  place  where  Jesus 
was  baptized  of  John.  On  the  front  of  the  main  edifice 
there  is  a  large  picture  of  the  baptism. 

About  the  same  distance  below  the  ford  is  the  place 
made  memorable  by  the  parting  of  the  waters  to  allow 
Elijah  and  Elisha  to  cross  to  the  land  of  Moab,  and  again, 
on  the  same  day,  to  permit  Elisha  to  return  to  the  sons  of 
the  prophets  at  Jericho. 

Within  sight  of  the  Jordan  Fords  the  great  royal  battle 
v/as  fought,  in  which  nine  kings  took  part,  in  the  Vale 
of  Siddim.  In  this  terrible  conflict  Lot  was  taken  prisoner 
and  carried  away  to  the  city  of  Dan.  Abram,  the  Hebrew, 
pursued  unto  Hobah,  which  is  on  the  left  hand  of  Da- 
mascus, and  rescued  his  brother's  son,  bringing  him  back 
with  his  goods. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  hotel  we  saw  the  moon,  about 
three  days  old.  I  think  I  never  saw  a  more  delightful 
picture  than  that  produced  by  the  purplish  blue  of  the 
mountains  and  the  lighting  up  of  the  highlands  of  Judea 
in  the  glory  of  the  setting  sun.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
see,  from  north  to  south,  and  on  each  side  of  the  river, 
there  were  the  glorious  mountains  everywhere.  The  ef- 
fect was  sublime.  As  we  had  to  rise  at  3  -.30  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  felt  the  necessity  of  retiring  as  early  as  circum- 
stances would  admit  of.  From  first  to  last  I  was  agree- 
ably surprised  by  my  visit  to  this  unique  portion  of  the 
Holy  Land. 

The  next  morning  we  were  up  on  schedule  time  for  an 
early  start  to  Jerusalem.  The  morning  air  was  delicious. 
The  mountains,  in  the  morning  twilight,  were  indescrib- 
ably grand.  The  light  was  so  subdued  and  sweet.  We 
had  to  walk  for  considerable  distances  at  two  different 
times  on  account  of  a  very  steep  grade.     This  we  quite 


ISO  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

enjoyed.  The  sunrise  over  the  Moab  mountains  was  an 
inspiration.  Our  dragoman  took  great  pains  in  leading 
us  to  the  head  of  the  caiion,  where  we  could  see  the 
Monastery  of  St.  George,  built  over  the  Cave  of  Elijah. 
At  the  Inn  of  the  Good  Samaritan  we  stopped  again, 
to  rest  and  feed  our  horses.  There  our  Bedouin  escort 
bade  us  farewell.  This  hour  and  a  half  I  spent  profitably 
in  examining  the  many  strange  and  interesting  curios  on 
exhibition  and  for  sale  in  the  reception  room  of  the  khan. 
I  also  greatly  enjoyed  a  stroll  over  the  hills  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, gathering  wild  flowers,  which  grow  there  in  the 
greatest  profusion.  At  eleven  o'clock  that  morning  we 
arrived  at  the  Holy  City. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Holy  City. 

JERUSALEM,  the  Habitation  of  Peace,  has  been  gen- 
erally identified  with  Salem,  the  city  of  which  Mel- 
chizedek  was  king.  Here,  in  the  Valley  of  Shaveh,  the 
king's  dale,  Abraham,  returning  from  the  rescue  of  Lot, 
was  met  and  blessed  by  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God. 
Five  and  twenty  years  later  Abraham  again  visited  this 
sacred  spot.  At  the  command  of  Jehovah,  he  left  Beer- 
sheba  on  a  mission  that  was  to  prove  the  supreme  trial 
of  his  faith.  "Take  now  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  Isaac, 
whom  thou  lovest,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah ; 
and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt  offering  upon  one  of  the 
mountains  which  I  shall  tell  thee  of."  With  implicit 
obedience,  Abraham  made  ready  for  the  three  day's  jour- 
ney. On  the  third  day  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw  the 
place  afar  off.  Leaving  his  two  servants  at  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  he  climbed  to  the  summit  with  his  beloved 
child.  With  what  infinite  pathos  does  the  interview  be- 
tween father  and  son  proceed,  as  they  approach  the  ap- 
pointed place  of  sacrifice !  "My  father,  behold  the  fire 
and  the  wood :  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  the  burnt  offer- 
ing? My  son,  God  will  provide  himself  a  lamb  for  a 
burnt  offering;  so  they  went  both  of  them  together." 
For  this  act  of  unqualified  obedience,  Abraham  was  re- 
warded by  being  named  of  God  the  father  of  the  faithful. 
Eight  hundred  and  forty-four  years  afterward  David 
captured  the  "Castle  of  Zion,"  destined  henceforward  to 
occupy  the  most  important  place  in  the  history  of  the 


152  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

world.  The  monarch  minstrel  of  Israel  built  his  palace 
on  the  site  of  the  royal  residence  of  the  king  of  the  Jebu- 
sites.  Zion  from  that  date  was  called  the  City  of  David. 
Jerusalem  enjoyed  its  highest  prosperity  in  the  reign  of 
Solomon.  It  suffered  great  loss  in  the  revolt  of  the  ten 
tribes,  under  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat;  but  continued 
to  be  the  capital  of  Judah  under  Rehoboam. 

In  588  B.  C.  the  city  was  utterly  devastated  by  Nebu- 
Assyrian  chaduczzar,  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  the 

Captivity.  inhabitants  were  carried  captives  to  Baby- 
lon. After  seventy  years'  exile,  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  were 
permitted  to  return  to  Jerusalem.  The  walls  were  rebuilt, 
the  temple  was  restored,  and  Jehovah  was  again  wor- 
shipped on  Mount  Moriah. 

In  the  year  70  A.  D.  Jerusalem  was  again  destroyed, 
by  Titus,  the  Roman  general,  when  more  than  a  million 
Roman  Jcws  wcrc  put  to  the  sword,  and  not  one 

Domination,  stoue  of  the  temple  was  left  upon  another. 
The  city  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Pagan  Romans 
till  the  year  325  A.  D.,  when  Christianity  was  established 
under  the  Emperor  Constantine. 

In  636  A.  D.  the  Mohammedans,  under  Khalif  Omar, 

captured  the  city,  and  laid  the  foundations  for  a  mosque 

Moslem  ^^  *^^^  sacred  site  of  Mount  Moriah.     For 

Rule.  nearly  thirteen  hundred  years  the  Holy  City 

has  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Moslems. 

"Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,  is 
Mount  Zion,  on  the  sides  of  the  north,  the  city  of  the 
Great  King."  Jerusalem  stands  on  a  ridge  between  two 
deep  valleys,  Jehoshaphat  on  the  east,  and  Hinnom  on 
the  west  and  south.  The  city  is  divided  by  the  Tyropceon 
Valley,  which  runs  in  the  general  direction  of  northwest 
and  southeast.     It  is  built  upon  five  hills :  Mount  Zion 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  153 

on  the  southwest,  Akra  on  the  northwest,  Bezetha  on  the 
northeast,  Ophel  on  the  southeast,  and'  Mount  Moriah 
on  the  east,  between  Ophel  and  Bezetha. 

Jerusalem,  from  the  first,  existed  as  a  walled  city.  The 
first  wall  was  built  around  Mount  Zion;  the  second  en- 
closed Akra ;  while  the  third  encircled  Bezetha.  As  to 
the  exact  lines  followed  by  these  ancient  walls  opinions 
greatl}^  differ.  Practically,  however,  the  present  wall  fol- 
lows the  outside  line  of  the  three  old  enclosures.  Owing 
to  the  irregular  contour  of  the  Jerusalem  site,  the  outline 
of  the  modern  wall  is  likewise  somewhat  irregular ;  yet 
it  maintains  substantially  the  form  of  a  quadrangle,  fac- 
ing to  the  four  points  of  the  compass. 

This  wall  was  built  by  Sultan  Suleiman  in  the  year 
1542,  on  the  foundation  of  the  mediaeval  wall.  The  mate- 
rial used  was  that  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  walls.  The 
average  height  is  about  forty  feet.  The  length  of  the 
foundation  is  two  and  a  half  miles.  Parts  of  the  south 
and  east  sides  belong  to  the  original  walls.  The  highest 
point  in  the  wall  is  at  the  southeast  corner,  where,  from 
the  base  to  the  capstone,  it  measures  160  feet.  About  this 
corner,  in  the  foundations,  there  are  stones  more  than 
twenty  by  seven  by  six  feet  in  dimensions. 

In  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  we  have  the  most  accurate 
description  of  the  ancient  wall.  He  makes  mention  of 
Ancient  the  Sheep  Gate,    the  Fish  Gate,    the  Old 

Gates.  Gate,  the  Valley  Gate,  the  Dung  Gate,  the 

Fountain  Gate,  the  Water  Gate,  the  Horse  Gate,  the  Gate 
of  Miphkad,  the  Prison  Gate,  and  the  Gate  of  Ephraim. 
The  St.  Stephen's  Gate  stands  in  the  present  wall  where 
the  Sheep  Gate  stood.  The  Water  Gate,  Horse  Gate  and 
Gate  Miphkad  were  in  the  east  wall,  and  opened  into  the 
temple  area,  just  overlooking  the  valley  of  the  Kedron. 


154  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  Valley  Gate  stood  where  the  Joppa  Gate  now  stands. 
The  Gate  of  Ephraim  and  the  Gate  of  Benjamin  opened 
toward  the  north,  and  were  one  and  the  same,  and 
situated  where  the  Great  Damascus  Gate  is  now. 

The  modern  gates  number  only  six.  First  is  the  Da- 
mascus Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  the  Column.  It  opens  at 
Modern  the  northern  end  of  the  Damascus  street, 

Gates.  into  the  great  highway  leading  to  Shechem, 

Galilee,  and  Damascus.  This  is  the  most  highly  orna- 
mented, picturesque  and  imposing  of  all  the  gates. 

The  second  is  St.  Stephen's  Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  the 
Tribes.  This  is  situated  on  the  east  side,  near  the  north- 
east comer,  and  opens  upon  the  road  that  leads  down 
into  the  Kedron  Valley  and  over  to  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
Bethany  and  Jericho. 

Third,  the  Dung  Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  the  Moors,  is 
on  the  south  side,  not  far  from  the  southeast  corner,  from 
which  a  winding  path  leads  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam. 

The  fourth  is  the  Zion  Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  the  Prophet 
David.  This  gate  is  situated  in  the  south  wall,  on  the 
crest  of  the  ridge  of  Mount  Zion. 

The  fifth  is  the  JafTa  Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  Hebron. 
This  opens  into  the  great  street  of  David.  Through  this 
gate  all  travellers  from  the  south  and  west  pass  into  the 
city. 

The  last  is  the  New  Gate,  near  the  northwest  angle  of 
the  city  wall. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Damascus  Gate  is  on  the 
north,  St.  Stephen's  Gate  on  the  east,  the  Dung  Gate  and 
the  Gate  of  Zion  on  the  south,  and  the  Jaffa  Gate  and 
New  Gate  on  the  west. 

Besides  these,  there  are  two  gates  walled  up:  the  one 
on  the  north,  east  of  the  Damascus  Gate,  called  Herod's 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  155 

Gate,  or  the  Gate  of  Flowers ;  the  other,  the  Great  Golden 
Gate,  on  the  east.  This  is  the  only  double  gate  in  the  city 
wall.  It  opened  directly  opposite  the  "Beautiful  Gate  of 
the  Temple."  In  this  gate  the  Mohammedans  believe  the 
world  will  be  judged  at  the  last  day. 

Of  the  five  hills  of  Jerusalem,  Mount  Zion  was  the 
ancient  stronghold  of  the  Jebusites.  This  fortress  was 
Built  on  first  scaled  by  Joab,  the  intrepid  commander 

Five  Hills,  of  David's  armies.  Here  David  and  Solo- 
mon, and  the  kings  of  Judah,  had  their  palaces.  On 
Mount  Zion  was  the  royal  cemetery,  in  which  David  and 
his  successors  were  buried.  The  tomb  of  David  was 
shown  to  us,  and  there,  too,  we  saw  the  house  of  Caiaphas 
and  the  Coenaculum  or  upper  room,  which  is  said  to  be 
the  place  where  the  last  supper  was  held.  In  the  upper 
room  are  shown  the  table  and  the  seats  used  at  the  insti- 
tution of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Not  far  from  this  place  is 
the  Armenian  convent,  which  we  visited. 

Mount  Zion  was  the  first  part  of  Jerusalem  upon  which 
houses  were  built.  It  was  called  the  Upper  City,  and  was 
the  last  hill  of  Jerusalem  to  succumb  to  the  attacks  of 
the  Roman  army  under  Titus.  From  the  brow  of  Mount 
Zion  we  had  a  splendid  view  of  the  valleys  of  Hinnom 
and  Kedron,  or  Jehoshaphat.  From  that  point  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  the  Hill  of  Offence,  and  the  Hill  of  Evil  Coun- 
sel were  in  full  view.  We  could  also  see  Tophet,  Aceldema, 
or  the  Field  of  Blood,  and  the  Hill  of  Judas.  Tophet  was 
that  part  of  the  Vale  of  Hinnom  in  which  the  horrible 
rites  of  the  worship  of  Moloch  were  performed ;  where 
little  children,  as  devoted  victims,  were  laid  in  the  arms 
of  the  hed-hot  statue  of  Moloch,  and  thus  offered.  On 
this  account.  King  Josiah  defiled  the  place  by  making  it 
the  ground  upon  which  the  refuse  of  the  city  was  thrown. 


156  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

For  the  consumption  of  this,  continual  fires  were  kept 
burning;  hence,  Tophet,  or  the  Vale  of  Hinnom,  became 
a  type  of  hell. 

Aceldema  was  the  potter's  field,  bought  with  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  accursed,  as  the  price  for  which  Judas 
betrayed  his  Master.  On  the  Hill  of  Judas  stands  a 
weird,  twisted,  leafless  tree,  whose  shrivelled  arms  stretch 
out  toward  Tophet.  This  attitude  is  given  it  by  the  south- 
west wind,  which  affects  the  tree  peculiarly,  owing  to  its 
solitary  position ;  for  this  old  tree  stands  alone  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  a  perfect  picture  of  desolation.  Upon 
this  tree,  tradition  tells  us,  Judas  hanged  himself. 

Mount  Zion  is  elevated  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
Vale  of  Hinnom,  and  five  hundred  feet  higher  than  the 
place  where  the  Kedron  and  Hinnom  join.  The  city  of 
David  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  David  street,  which 
lies  above  the  ancient  course  of  the  Tyropoeon  valley. 

The  hill  of  Akra  was  called  the  Lower  City,  to  distin- 
guish it  from  Mount  Zion.  It  lies  north  of  the  Tyropoeon 
and  west  of  Moriah.  It  embraces  the  present  Christian 
quarter,  as  Zion,  the  Armenian. 

The  liill  of  Bezetha  extends  from  the  temple  area  to 
the  north  wall,  and  from  Damascus  street  to  the  wall  on 
the  east.  This  is  an  irregular  ridge,  included  in  the  Mo- 
hammedan quarter. 

The  hill  of  Ophel  lies  to  the  south  of  Moriah.  It 
occupies  a  terrace,  whose  north  end  drops  fifty  feet  below 
the  summit  of  Moriah,  and  falls  rapidly  till  it  ends  in  a 
cliff  just  above  Siloam.  This  entire  hill  is  under  cultiva- 
tion, being  covered  with  gardens,  olives  and  other  fruil, 
trees.  After  the  captivity,  Nehemiah  apportioned  Ophel 
to  those  who  were  engaged  in  temple  service.  Like 
Mount  Zion,  Ophel  is  only  partly  included  within  the 
present  city  wall. 


I 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  157 

Mount  Moriah  lies  between  Bezetha  and  Ophel,  and 
is  the  most  sacred  part  of  the  Holy  City.  Upon  its  sum- 
mit was  the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah,  which  David 
bought  for  the  place  of  the  altar  of  burnt  offerings.  After- 
ward the  temple  of  Solomon  was  erected  on  the  same 
ground.  King  David,  when  he  was  dwelling  in  his  house 
of  cedar,  and  God  had  given  him  rest  from  all  his  enemies, 
conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  temple,  in  which  the  ark 
of  God  might  be  placed,  instead  of  being  held  within  cur- 
tains. In  this  design  he  was  discouraged  by  the  prophet 
Nathan,  because  he  had  been  a  man  of  war;  but  it  was 
promised,  at  the  same  time,  that  his  son  and  successor 
should  build  a  house  unto  the  Lord. 

While  David  was  prohibited  from  building  the  temple, 
he,  nevertheless,  made  preparations  for  it.  David  origi- 
nated the  plans  of  the  temple  and  collected  much  of  the 
materials  for  its  construction.  Solomon  executed  his 
father's  designs.  The  timbers  and  the  workmen  employed 
in  the  building  of  the  temple  Avere,  for  the  most  part, 
obtained  from  the  kings  of  Tyre. 

The  erection  was  begun  in  the  second  month  of  the 
fourth  year  of  Solomon's  reign,  and  finished  in  the  eighth 
Temple  of  month  of  the  eleventh  year  of  his  reign. 

Solomon.  Therefore,  it  was  seven  years  and  six 
months  from  the  laying  of  the  foundation  to  the  com- 
pletion of  Solomon's  temple.  The  temple  was  mainly 
constructed  after  the  pattern  of  the  tabernacle.  It  was 
to  be  an  enlarged  and  fixed  place  of  worship  instead  of 
a  movable  tent.  The  stones  for  the  temple  were  hewn 
and  shaped  in  Solomon's  Quarries,  underneath  the  temple 
area.  "And  the  house,  when  it  was  in  building,  was  built 
of  stone,  made  ready  before  it  was  brought  thither:  so 
that  there  was  neither  hammer,  nor  axe,  nor  any  tool  of 


158  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

iron  heard  in  the  house  while  it  was  in  building."  The 
temple  proper  was  sixty  cubits  in  length,  twenty  cubits 
in  width,  and  thirty  cubits  in  height.  The  structure  was 
roofed  and  ceiled  with  cedar.  The  apartments  of  the 
temple  were  the  Holy  Place  and  the  Holy  of  Holies.  The 
Sanctum  Sanctorum  formed  a  cube  of  twenty  cubits.  In 
it  was  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  The  main  building  was 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  range  of  porticoes,  or  clois- 
ters, above  which  were  apartments,  supported  by  mono- 
lith pillars  of  white  marble,  twenty-five  cubits  high.  The 
chief  of  these  was  Solomon's  porch,  which  stood  on  an 
artificial  terrace.  This  piazza  remained  in  the  second 
temple,  and  retained  the  name  of  that  illustrious  king  in 
the  time  of  our  Lord.  The  first,  or  outer  court,  which 
encompassed  the  temple  and  the  other  courts,  was  named 
the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  because  the  nations  were 
allowed  to  enter  it,  but  were  prohibited  from  advancing 
farther.  Within  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles  stood  the  Court 
of  the  Israelites.  This  was  divided  into  two  parts.  The 
outer  was  assigned  to  the  women ;  the  inner,  to  the  men. 
Within  the  Court  of  the  Israelites  was  the  Court  of  the 
Priests.  This  enclosure  surrounded  the  altar  of  burnt 
offering,  and  to  it  the  people  brought  oblations  and  sac- 
rifices ;  but  the  priests  alone  were  permitted  to  enter  it. 
In  this  court  was  the  brazen  laver.  Twelve  steps  led  up 
from  the  court  of  the  priests  to  the  Holy  Place,  in  which 
was  the  altar  of  incense,  the  table  of  shewbread  and  the 
golden  candlestick.  The  Holy  of  Holies  was  separated 
from  the  Holy  Place  by  the  exquisite  veil  of  the  temple. 
Into  the  holiest  of  all  only  the  high  priests  could  enter, 
and  that  only  once  a  year,  on  "Yom  Kippur,"  or  the  Day 
of  Atonement,  to  offer  for  the  sins  of  the  people.  The 
entire  temple  area  covered  about  one-sixth  of  the  area 
of  the  city,  or  thirty-five  acres. 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  159 

The  chief  designer  and  director  of  the  ornamental 
metal  work  was  Hiram,  the  Tyrian.  This  skilled  artificer 
superintended  the  casting  of  all  the  brazen  decorations 
and  utensils.  These  ornaments  and  utensils  are  minutely 
specified,  and  were  at  once  costly,  massive,  and  magnifi- 
cent. The  furniture  and  fittings  of  gold  were  rich  and 
precious.  Gold  was  lavishly  employed  in  the  internal 
decorations.  The  completed  temple,  with  its  towers,  its 
porch,  its  colonnades  and  its  cloisters,  all  executed  in  the 
highest  style  of  ancient  art,  and  adorned  with  lavish  pro- 
fusion, must  have  been  indeed  a  noble  object.  The  cost 
of  the  building  of  the  temple  was  fabulous.  When  the 
house  of  God  was  finished  and  furnished  it  was  dedicated 
by  a  solemn  service  and  prayer.  "Then  Solomon  assem- 
bled the  elders  of  Israel,  and  all  the  heads  of  the  tribes, 
the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  children  of  Israel,  unto 
King  Solomon  in  Jerusalem,  that  they  might  bring  up 
the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  of  the  Lord  out  of  the  City  of 
David,  v/hich  is  Zion."  Then  the  priests  brought  up  the 
ark  and  all  the  holy  vessels  that  were  in  the  tabernacle. 
The  vessels  they  placed  in  the  temple.  The  Ark  of  the 
Covenant  they  brought  into  its  place,  under  the  wings 
of  the  cherubim,  in  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Then  the  king 
and  the  whole  congregation  sacrificed  sheep  and  oxen 
that  could  not  be  numbered  for  multitude.  "Then  the 
house  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the  house  of  the  Lord ; 
so  that  the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  by  reason 
of  the  cloud;  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the 
house  of  God." 

Tlien  Solomon  blessed  the  people,  and  offered  the 
prayer  of  dedication.  When  the  prayer  was  ended,  fire 
Temple  Came  dowu  from  heaven,  and  consumed  the 

Dedicated,    burnt  offering  and  the  sacrifices. 


i6o  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

This  famous  building  suffered  many  vicissitudes  till 
the  time  of  its  destruction  by  the  Assyrians,  who  plun- 
dered and  burnt  it  to  the  ground.  When  Cyrus  issued  his 
decree  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple,  he  ascribed  it 
to  Divine  admonition,  and  committed  the  undertaking  to 
Nehemiah. 

The  second  temple  was  repaired  and  beautified  by 
Herod,  and  stood  till  the  destruction  of  the  city  by  the 
Romans.  This  temple  dift'ered  from  the  first  in  five  par- 
ticulars :  in  the  absence  of  the  ark ;  the  shekinah ;  the  fire 
from  heaven ;  the  Urim  and  Thummim ;  and  the  Spirit 
of  Prophecy.  But  the  latter  surpassed  the  former  in 
glory  by  the  frequent  visible  presence  of  him,  the  temple 
of  whose  body  was  raised  again  on  the  third  day  after  it 
had  been  destroved. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Holy  City — Continued. 

NCIENT  Jerusalem  was  peculiar  in  its  water  sup- 
ply ;  for  not  a  single  spring  was  to  be  found  within 
the  walls  of  the  city.  It  was  supplied  by  cisterns  and 
pools.  These  reservoirs  were  filled  with  water  from 
Pools  and  Solomou's  Pools,  the  two  Pools  of  Gihon, 

Cisterns.  and  the  water  that  fell  upon  the  temple  area 
during  the  rainy  season.  The  cisterns  were  vast  in  num- 
ber and  capacity.  The  results  of  exploration  show  that 
underneath  nearly  the  whole  of  the  temple  area  were  sub- 
terranean cisterns.  Between  thirty-five  and  forty  of  these 
cisterns  have  been  located  and  explored.  The  largest  of 
these  held  more  than  two  million  gallons.  From  thests 
cisterns  the  water  supply  for  the  temple  services  was  ob- 
tained. Inside  the  city  walls  was  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah, 
situated  not  far  from  the  Jaffa  Gate,  just  north  of  David 
street.  This  pool  is  about  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  in 
length  by  one  hundred  and  forty-four,  in  width.  It  was 
fed  through  an  aqueduct  from  the  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon, 
outside  the  city  walls.  The  eastern  door  of  our  hotel 
-dining-room  opened  immediately  upon  this  pool. 

Under  the  Coptic  Convent  is  Helena's  Pool,  so  named 
in  honor  of  the  mother  of  Constantine.  The  Pool  of 
Bethesda  is  a  large  reservoir  adjoining  the  Haram,  or 
temple  area,  near  St.  Stephen's  Gate.  It  is  about  three 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  one  hundred  and  thirty, 
broad,  and  seventy  deep.  This  was  the  pool  where  miracu- 


i62  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

lous  healing  took  place  at  the  troubling  of  the  water  by 
the  angel.  In  spite  of  the  great  accumulation  of  rubbish, 
there  is  still  much  water  in  this  pool.  We  approached 
this  reservoir  by  descending  several  flights  of  steep  rock 
steps.  There  were  five  porches  to  this  pool,  where,  doubt- 
less, the  sick  and  afflicted  waited  till  their  opportunity  for 
healing  arrived. 

There  are  many  other  cisterns  and  pools  within  the 
city  walls,  but  the  principal  ones  are  those  named  above, 
which  are,  beyond  all  question,  the  remains  of  the  ancient 
and  biblical  Jerusalem. 

Outside  the  walls  were  the  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon,  the 
Lower  Pool  of  Gihon,  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  and  the  Pools 
of  Solomon.  The  Upper  Pool  of  Gihon  lies  to  the  north- 
west of  the  city,  and  still  supplies  Hezekiah's  Pool.  The 
Lower  Pool  of  Gihon  is  situated  just  west  of  the  city 
wall,  to  the  south  of  the  Jaffa  Gate.  Over  the  breast  of 
this  the  carriage  road  to  Bethlehem  and  Hebron  leads. 
The  Pool  of  Siloam  lies  to  the  southeast  of  Jerusalem, 
It  now  measures  not  more  than  fifteen  by  eighteen  feet, 
with  an  average  depth  of  twenty  feet.  Formerly  it  was 
a  great  deal  larger,  but  has  been  filled  in  with  rubbish. 
It  was  cut  out  of  solid  rock,  and  supplied  by  a  tunnel 
cut  through  the  rock  from  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Kedron.  This  aqueduct  is  1,708  feet 
in  length.  To  this  pool  the  man  born  blind  was  sent  to 
wash.  "He  went  his  way,  therefore,  and  washed,  and 
came  seeing."  To  the  north  of  Siloam,  about  one-third 
of  a  mile,  is  the  Virgin's  Fountain,  as  intimated. 

This  is  identical  with  En-rogel,  where  Jonathan  and 
Ahimaaz,  David's  messengers,  waited  for  David  the  king, 
when  he  fled  from  his  unnatural  son,  Absalom.  At  En- 
rogel,  Adonijah,  David's  eldest  son,  slew  sheep  and  oxen 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  163 

and  fat  cattle  by  the  stone  Zoheleth,  and  called  all  the 
king's  sons,  except  Solomon,  to  the  feast.  This  stone 
has  recently  been  recovered  and  positively  identified  by 
the  inscription  upon  its  face. 

By  far  the  most  important  of  the  aqueducts  about  Jeru- 
salem was  that  which  conveyed  the  water  from  the  Pools 
of  Solomon,  several  miles  outside  the  city,  beyond  Beth- 
lehem. These  royal  pools  supplied  water  for  the  temple 
andT  the  palace  of  Solomon.  To  this  day,  between  the 
mosque  of  Omar  and  Aksa  is  a  fountain  fed  from  that 
ancient  source. 

On  the  site  of  the  temple  stands  by  far  the  most  mag- 
nificent and  important  edifice  in  the  Holy  City.  The 
Mosque  of  Arabic  name  for  this  building  is  Kubbet 

Omar.  es-Sakhrah,  the  meaning  of  which  is  the 

Dome  of  the  Rock.  It  is  so  called  because  its  dome  is 
immediately  over  the  great  rock  upon  which  the  altar  of 
burnt  offering  was  erected. 

The  popular  name  of  this  most  interesting  of  all  thf 
Mohammedan  places  of  worship  is  the  Mosque  of  Omar. 
Its  foundations  were  laid  by  Khalif  Omar  in  636  A.  D. 
It  was  completed  fifty  years  later.  The  form  of  the  build- 
ing is  octagonal,  every  side  of  which  measures  sixty-seven 
feet.  Each  of  these  sides  has  seven  stained  glass  win- 
dows, of  most  brilliant  colors.  The  great  dome  is  covered 
with  lead.  The  mosque  is  entered  by  four  doors,  facing 
to  the  north,  east,  south,  and  west.  The  south  portal  is 
the  principal  entrance.  The  north  entrance  is  called  the 
Door  of  Paradise,  while  that  on  the  east  is  known  to-day 
as  the  Door  of  the  Chain.  The  latter  is  so  named  on 
account  of  the  Dome  of  the  Chain,  which  stands  directly 
east  of  the  entrance,  and  between  it  and  the  Golden  Gate 
of  the  city  wall.  It  is  also  called  the  Dome  of  Judgment, 
or  Solomon's  Judgment  Seat. 


i64  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

This  dome  is  one-third  of  the  size  of  the  Dome  of  the 
Rock,  and,  Hke  it,  is  eight-sided.  It  takes  its  name  from 
the  following  Mohammedan  myth :  Over  this  place  a 
chain  from  heaven  was  suspended.  This  chain  served  as  a 
test  of  evidence.  A  witness  in  court  laid  hold  of  the  chain 
with  his  right  hand.  If  he  told  the  truth,  nothing  what- 
ever happened.  If  he  was  guilty  of  perjury,  a  link 
dropped  from  the  chain.  On  one  occasion  a  Mohamme- 
dan accused  a  Hebrew  of  owing  him  a  certain  amount  of 
money.  The  Jew  handed  the  Moslem  a  staff  and  took 
hold  of  the  chain,  while  he  protested  that  he  did  not  owe 
the  debt.  The  Moslem  returned  the  staff  to  the  Jew,  and 
in  turn  took  hold  of  the  chain.  He  affirmed  that  he  had 
not  received  the  money.  At  once  the  chain  disappeared 
and  was  taken  up  to  heaven,  to  be  seen  no  more.  The 
money  had  been  concealed  within  the  staff.  So  the  He- 
brew, intending  to  deceive,  had  literally  told  the  truth, 
while  the  Moslem,  though  believing  he  had  sworn  truly, 
had  given  false  evidence  upon  oath.  The  moral  was  that 
even  a  heaven-sent  test  was  powerless  to  discriminate  be- 
tween truth  and  falsehood. 

The  diameter  of  the  interior  measures  one  hundred 
and  forty-eight  feet,  and  a  corridor  thirteen  feet  wide  runs 
entirely  around  it.  On  the  inside  of  the  corridor  there 
are  eight  piers  and  sixteen  marble  Corinthian  columns. 
Within  these  columns  is  another  corridor,  thirty  feet 
wide,  with  four  piers  and  twelve  larger  Corinthian  col- 
umns. This  system  of  piers  supports  the  great  dome, 
which  is  sixty-six  feet  in  diameter. 

Directly  underneath  the  dome  is  the  Holy  Rock.  Its 
surface  is  bare  and  rugged.  The  dark  rock  is  sixty  feet 
long  and  forty-five  feet  wide,  and  stands  from  two  to  six 
feet  above  the  pavement  of  the  mosque. 


I 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  165 

This  was  the  most  sacred  spot  on  Mount  Moriah,  be- 
cause it  was  chosen  of  God  as  the  place  of  the  offering 
of  the  sacrifices  that  were  typical  of  the  one  great  Anti- 
type, who  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.  I  was 
weighed  down  with  a  sense  of  the  burden  of  human  guiU 
as  I  stood  there  looking  upon  the  place  where  the  blood 
of  so  many  countless  thousands  of  victims  had  been  shed 
to  atone  for  the  sins  of  mankind. 

The  great  rock  is  pierced  with  a  perpendicular  cylin- 
drical opening,  reaching  from  the  top  to  a  chamber  under- 
The  Pierced         ncath.     This  aperture  was  used  to  convey 

Rock.  the  blood  and  ashes  from  the  altar  to  the 

cave  beneath.  In  the  pavement  of  this  chamber  is  a 
square  piece  of  marble,  covering  the  passage  that  led 
into  the  valley  below.  An  aqueduct  from  the  Pools  of 
Solomon  furnished  water  for  the  cleansing  of  this  altar 
and  the  flushing  of  the  channels. 

The  Mohammedans  claim  that  the  cave  was  a  place 
of  prayer  for  Abraham,  David,  Solomon  and  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Here,  also,  Oman  and  his  four  sons  are  said 
to  have  hidden  themselves  from  the  destroying  angel, 
who  met  David  on  the  threshing-floor.  Inside  the  cave 
are  three  altars,  dedicated  to  David,  Solomon,  and  Elijah, 
respectively. 

Here  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  Moslems  greatly 
revere  every  Scriptural  prophet.  To  illustrate  this  fact, 
a  missionary,  who  was  on  the  cruise  with  us,  gave  us 
this  bit  of  his  own  experience:  On  one  occasion,  as  he 
was  approaching  a  village  in  Syria,  he  saw  a  poor  wretch 
with  his  arms  and  feet  pinioned,  lying  face  downward, 
while  the  officer  of  the  law  was  unmercifully  beating  him, 
in  the  presence  of  many  witnesses.  Upon  inquiry,  he 
found  that  the  man  had  been  heard  to  blaspheme  the  name 


i66  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

of  Christ.  He  was  not  punished  because  they  were  fol- 
lowers of  the  Great  Teacher,  but  simply  because  they  re- 
garded him  as  a  prophet. 

Among  the  Mohammedans,  the  most  sacred  of  their 
shrines,  after  the  Ka'aba  at  Mecca,  is  the  Mosque  of  Aksa. 
It  is  built  upon  the  site  of  the  Church  of  St.  Mary,  erected 
Captured  by         by  Justinian  in  the  sixth  century.     When 

Crusaders.  the  Crusadcrs  captured  the  Holy  City,  this 
mosque  again  became  a  Christian  church.  After  the  de- 
feat of  the  Crusaders,  in  1187,  by  Saladin,  it  reverted 
Retaken  by         oncc  more  to  the  Moslems,  and  has  been 

Moslems.  uscd  ever  since  as  a  mosque.  It  stands 
upon  the  ancient  site  of  Solomon's  Palace. 

El  Aksa  measures  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet 
in  length  by  two  hundred,  in  width.  The  chief  objects 
of  Moslem  reverence  in  this  mosque  are  the  tomb  of  the 
sons  of  Aaron,  the  magnificent  pulpit  of  Omar,  brought 
from  Damascus,  the  Mihrab  (prayer  shrine)  of  Moses, 
the  Mihrab  of  John  and  Zechariah,  the  Mosque  of  the 
Forty  Martyrs,  and  the  foot-print  of  Jesus. 

These  places  of  special  sacredness  to  the  Mohammedans 
are  given  here  to  show  the  conglomerate  character  of  the 
Moslem  religion.  I  observed  among  them  this  universal 
principle :  they  scrupulously  preserve  everything  that  is 
sacred  to  the  peoples  conquered  by  them.  As  a  result, 
their  creed  of  religious  practices  is  a  rather  grotesque 
combination  of  Jewish,  Christian  and  Pagan  systems  of 
faith  and  living.  Therefore,  we  need  not  be  surprised  to 
see  that  their  architectural  products  are  also  without 
definite  character.  The  only  characteristic  feature  of  this 
architecture  is  the  crude  commingling  of  the  purer  styles 
of  the  countries  where  they  have,  by  force  of  arms,  estab- 
lished the  crescent  and  the  star.     This  statement  applies 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  167 

to  both  the  material  and  form  of  their  public  struc- 
tures. 

As  examples  of  this  principle,  I  need  only  to  refer  to 
three  mosques :  the  great  mosque  at  Damascus  preserves 
the  materials  and  architecture  of  the  pagan  temple  and 
the  Christian  church  in  its  present  colossal  structure ;  the 
Mosque  of  Omar  exhibits  some  of  the  great  marble  pillars 
and  other  parts  of  the  temple  of  Solomon;  and  the 
Mosque  of  Aksa,  where  I  saw  portions  of  the  original 
buildings  of  the  palace  of  Solomon  and  the  churches  of 
Justinian  and  the  Crusaders. 

Immediately  under  the  Mosque  of  Aksa  is  a  great 
vaulted  chamber,  three  hundred  feet  from  east  to  west, 
Solomon's  by  two  hundred,  from  north  to  south.     The 

stables.  height  of  this  chamber  is  forty-feet.     This 

is  the  famous  Stable  of  Solomon,  one  section  of  which 
is  capable  of  stabling  two  thousand  horses :  "Solomon  had 
four  thousand  stalls  for  horses  and  chariots,  and  twelve 
thousand  horsemen."  McLaurin  and  I  found  our  way 
to  these  stables  by  a  long  rock  stairway.  It  seemed 
strange,  indeed,  to  find  the  holes  drilled  through  the  cor- 
ners of  the  pillars,  through  which  the  halters  of  the  horses 
had  so  many  centuries  ago  been  passed. 

Solomon's  horses  were  taken  in  and  out  through  the 
Horse  Gate. 

On  one  side  of  the  stable  there  is  the  foundation  of  the 
old  city  wall,  and  on  the  other,  the  wall  of  Solomon's 
Temple.  I  chipped  some  fragments  from  the  huge  blocks 
of  limestone  that  constituted  those  historic  foundations. 

At  the  southeast  angle  of  the  temple  area  the  corner- 
stone weighs  over  one  hundred  tons,  and  is  the  heaviest 
stone  in  the  sanctuary  wall.  The  corner-stone  at  the 
southwest  angle  of  this  wall  is  thirty-eight  feet  and  nine 


i68  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

inches  long  and  ten  feet  wide.  It  weighs  eighty  tons,  and 
is  the  longest  stone  yet  found  in  the  walls. 

Little  can  be  said  in  praise  of  the  streets  of  Jerusalem. 
For  the  most  part  they  are  quite  narrow,  and  irregularly 
paved  with  flag  and  cobble-stones.  The  sanitary  con- 
dition of  these  streets  is  not  the  best,  as  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city  do  not  observe  the  laws  of  cleanliness  as  the 
ancient  Hebrews  did. 

The  principal  thoroughfares  of  the  city  are  David 
street,  running  from  Jaffa  Gate  to  the  temple  area,  and 
Damascus,  or  Zion  street,  leading  from  Da- 
mascus Gate  to  the  south  wall.  These  inter- 
sect each  other  at  right  angles  about  the  centre  of  the 
city,  thus  dividing  it  into  four  quarters. 

The  street  scenes  of  Jerusalem  are  most  unique.  The 
entire  business  portion  of  the  city  is  a  bazaar.  The  stiff 
military  troops,  with  their  graceless  manoeuvring,  the 
trains  of  laden  donkeys  and  camels,  the  herds  of  goats 
and  sheep,  the  army  of  street  venders,  the  robed  mer- 
chants and  money-changers,  the  veiled  Mohammedan 
women,  vividly  contrasting  with  the  happy  crowds  of 
Jewish  maids  and  matrons — all  combined  to  make  a 
scene  peculiarly  picturesque. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  Occidental  world  that  can  rival 
the  street  sprinkler  of  Jerusalem.  He  presents  a  picture 
extremely  Oriental.  He  needs  no  horses  or  water-cart, 
as  he  supplies  the  place  of  both  by  carrying  upon  his  back 
a  goatskin  filled  with  water.  The  sprinkling  is  done  by 
means  of  a  contrivance  somewhat  resembling  an  ordinary 
faucet.  With  this  heavy  burden  he  patiently  trudges 
along  from  one  end  of  the  street  to  the  other.  Having 
once  looked  upon  that  picture,  it  would  be  impossible  ever 
to  forget  it. 


THE  HOLY  CITY.  169 

In  the  shops  of  the  city  nearly  everything  imaginable 
can  be  found.  What  distinguishes  the  Jerusalem  bazaars 
from  those  of  other  Eastern  cities  is  the  great  number 
and  variety  of  articles  made  of  olive  wood.  All  the  way 
from  a  laden  camel  to  a  paper  cutter  these  articles  are 
to  be  had  by  the  thousand.  There,  too,  the  beautiful 
pressed  wild  flowers  of  Palestine  are  found  on  sale,  at- 
tractively mounted. 

As  in  Damascus  and  Constantinople,  the  narrow  streets 
and  great  crowds  render  progress  difficult.  The  people 
of  Jerusalem  maintain  their  ancient  habits  of  dress  and 
living.  There  is  no  evidence  of  a  change  of  fashion  for 
several  millenniums.  The  Hebrew  women  dress  very 
simply,  not  unlike  Americans.  The  men  have  long  hair, 
Habits  of  and  wear  flowing  robes,  girded  about  the 

Dress.  waist  with  a  cord,  much  like  our  bath-robes. 

There  is  nothing  about  the  dress  of  the  children  to  attract 
a  stranger's  attention. 

There  are  many  evidences  of  great  poverty  and  v/retch- 
edness  in  this  once  wealthy  and  royal  city.  Many  men, 
women,  and  children  are  very  poorly  clad,  and  look  as  if 
their  hunger  was  not  often  satisfied.  It  distressed  me  to 
see  little  children  picking  up  and  eating  the  meagre 
crusts  found  lying  in  the  street.  The  poor  have  no 
cisterns,  and  therefore  must  buy  water  to  drink.  This 
explains  the  pitiful  sight  of  the  poor  waifs  stooping  to 
drink  the  water  collected  in  the  hollows  of  the  unevenly 
paved  streets,  as  the  street-sprinkler  goes  his  rounds.  I 
was  told  by  a  missionary  that  there  were  many  people  in 
that  country  who  had  never  known  what  it  meant  to  have 
enough  to  eat  for  a  single  day  of  their  lives. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Olivet  and  Calvary. 

NOT  for  one  moment  could  any  student  of  history 
fail  to  attach  the  highest  importance  to  the  Holy 
City;  but  to  the  devout  follower  of  the  Man  of  Galilee 
the  most  sacred  places  are  outside  the  city  walls.  The 
spots  most  tenderly  associated  with  the  public  ministry 
of  him  who  spake  as  never  man  spake,  are  Bethany,  Oli- 
vet, Gethsemane,  the  valley  and  brook  of  Kedron,  Calvary 
and  the  Garden  Tomb.  This  is  true  for  the  most  obvious 
of  reasons. 

The   modern   name    for   Bethany   is   el-Azariyeh,   the 

Arabic  form  of  the  proper  noun  Lazarus.     It  is  situated 

on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives, 

Bethany.  _  .  ^      ,  .  ., 

fifteen  furlongs,  or  not  quite  two  miles, 
from  Jerusalem,  on  the  old  Jericho  caravan  road.  To-day 
Bethany  is  a  poor  Mohammedan  village,  full  of  wretched 
beggars.  But,  unattractive  as  it  is  to  the  traveller,  there 
is  no  town  in  Palestine  that  is  quite  so  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  life  of  our  Lord  as  the  village  where 
Martha  and  Mary  and  Lazarus  had  their  hospitable  home. 
That  house  was  the  home  of  Jesus  during  his  frequent 
visits  to  Jerusalem,  especially  in  the  last  days  of  his 
earthly  ministry.  What  Capernaum  was  to  the  region  of 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  Bethany  was  to  Jerusalem  and  its 
environments. 

The  Master  was  in  the  country  beyond  the  Jordan 
Valley,  Arabia  Petrea,  when  a  messenger  brought  the  sad 
news  of  the  alarming  illness  of  his  friend  Lazarus.    The 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  171 

message  was  peculiarly  tender :  "He  whom  thou  lovest  is 
sick."  After  two  days  Jesus  begins  the  weary  journe^r. 
At  length  he  arrives  at  Bethany;  but,  in  the  meanwhile, 
Lazarus  had  died,  and  his  body  was  entombed.  He  is 
met  on  the  outskirt  of  the  village,  first  by  Martha  and 
then  by  her  sister,  with  the  pitiful  cry,  "Lord,  if  thou 
hadst  been  here  my  brother  had  not  died." 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  sympathy  of  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  was  manifested  in  a  most  striking  manner, 
for  when  he  saw  the  heart-broken  sisters  weeping  over 
the  loss  of  their  only  brother,  "Jesus  wept."  It  was  a 
sublime  spectacle.  He  had  so  often  enjoyed  their  hos- 
pitality, and  shared  their  comforts  and  their  joys;  now 
he  shares  with  them  their  sorrow.  "Then  said  the  Jews, 
Behold  how  he  loved  him."  He  is  directed  by  them  to 
the  grave  of  his  friend.  "It  was  a  cave,  and  a  stone  lay 
upon  it."  Behold  the  divine  majesty  of  the  Prince  of 
Life,  as  he  commands  the  bystanders  to  take  away  the 
Raised  to  stone.    Then,  after  a  brief  prayer  of  thanks- 

Life,  giving  to  his  Father,  he  utters  the  almighty 
summons,  "Lazarus,  come  forth!"  "And  he  that  was 
dead  came  forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  with  grave 
clothes."  "Loose  him  and  let  him  go,"  said  Jesus,  and 
he  restored  the  beloved  Lazarus  to  his  devoted  sisters. 

You  search  in  vain  for  a  more  unmistakable  exhibition 
of  the  union  of  the  divine  and  human  natures  in  the 
theanthropic  person  of  the  Friend  of  Sinners. 

Bethany  was  the  home  of  Simon  the  leper,  and  Jesus 
was  his  guest  on  one  occasion,  when  a  woman  came  and 
anointed  his  head  with  an  alabaster  box  of  precious  oint- 
ment. She  was  rebuked  by  the  disciples,  but  commended 
by  the  Master.  "Why  trouble  ye  the  woman?  for  she 
hath  wrought  a  good  work  upon  me.     For  in  that  she 


172  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

hath  poured  this  ointment  on  my  body,  she  did  it  for  my 
burial.  Wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  there  shall  also,  this,  that  this  woman  hath 
done,  be  told  for  a  memorial  of  her." 

The   day  before   the   triumphal   entry   into   Jerusalem 
Jesus  came  to  Bethany  from  Jericho.     That  memorable 
Triumphal         proccssion  began  at  Bethany.    It  was  at  the 
Entry.  time  of  the  Passover.     He  sent  two  of  his 

followers  to  Bethphage,  a  small  village  across  a  ravine, 
only  a  short  distance  to  the  south.  "Go  your  way  into 
the  village  over  against  you :  and  as  soon  as  ye  be  entered 
into  it  ye  shall  find  a  colt  tied,  whereon  never  man  sat ; 
loose  him,  and  bring  him."  "And  they  brought  the  colt 
to  Jesus,  and  cast  their  garments  on  him ;  and  he  sat 
upon  him.  And  many  spread  their  garments  in  the  way ; 
and  others  cut  down  branches  ofif  the  trees,  and  strewed 
them  in  the  way.  And  they  that  went  before,  and  they 
that  followed,  cried,  saying,  Hosanna !  blessed  is  he  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Blessed  be  the  kingdom 
of  our  father  David,  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  :  Hosanna  in  the  highest !" 

While  we  were  at  Bethany  we  were  shown  only  three 
places  of  special  interest:  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  a  deep 
vault,  excavated  in  the  rock,  near  the  centre  of  the  vil- 
lage ;  the  home  of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters ;  and  the  house 
of  Simon  the  leper.  This  tomb  is  sacred  alike  to  the 
Christians  and  the  Mohammedans,  and  the  identity  of  the 
sepulchre  is  beyond  reasonable  doubt. 

The  modern  name  for  the  Mount  of  Olives  is  Jebel-et- 
Tur,  or  Mount  of  Light.  It  stands  directly  east  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  towers  two  hundred  feet  above  the  summit  of 
Mount  A/[oriah.  It  owes  its  name  to  the  olive  trees,  which 
flourished  upon  it  in  very  ancient  times,  some  venerable 
specimens  of  which  remain  to  this  day  upon  its  western 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  173 

slope.  The  first  mention  of  Olivet  is  in  the  affecting  nar- 
rative of  David's  retirement  from  Jerusalem,  as  he  fled 
from  Absalom,  his  rebellious  son :  "And  David  went  up 
by  the  ascent  of  Mount  Olivet,  and  wept  as  he  went  up, 
and  had  his  head  covered ;  and  he  went  barefoot :  and  all 
the  people  that  was  with  him  covered  every  man  his  head, 
and  they  went  up,  weeping  as  they  went."  Only  one 
other  time  is  this  mount  referred  to  in  the  Old  Testament. 
This  time  it  is  in  a  prophecy  of  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah and  the  graces  of  his  kingdom:  "And  his  feet  shall 
stand  in  that  day  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  is 
before  Jerusalem  on  the  east." 

Olivet  is  more  of  a  ridge  than  a  mountain.  It  runs 
parallel  to  Mount  Moriah,  from  which  it  is  separated  by 
the  valley  of  the  Kedron,  and  is  divided  into  four  dis- 
tinct elevations,  although  the  intervening  depressions  are 
slight.  The  most  southerly  of  these  crests  is  called  the 
"Mount  of  Offence,"  because  there  Solomon  set  up  the 
idol  worship  to  please  his  heathen  wives.  Just  north  of 
this  is  the  "Mount  of  the  Prophets,"  so  called  from  a 
catacomb  known  as  the  "Tombs  of  the  Prophets."  The 
next,  north,  is  the  "Mount  of  Ascension,"  exactly  oppo- 
site the  Golden  Gate  of  the  City,  and  properly  called  the 
"Mount  of  Olives."  The  summit  is  called  "Viri  Galilsei" 
("Ye  men  of  GaHlee"),  because  there,  tradition  tells  us, 
the  angels  addressed  the  gazing  disciples:  "Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?" 

Bleak  as  the  mountain  ridge  is  at  present,  only  a  few 
scattered  olive  trees  being  left  to  justify  its  name,  the 
Mount  was  once  covered  with  olives,  myrtles,  thorns, 
pines  and  palms;  and  a  little  care  and  cultivation  would 
restore  its  beauty. 

My  first  visit  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  was  in  the  early 


i;4  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

morning  of  the  Sabbath,  with  my  friend  from  Carolina. 
As  we  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  Hotel  Central,  we  wit- 
nessed a  glorious  scene.  Just  behind  the  summit  of  Olivet 
the  sun  was  rising  in  his  majesty.  I  can  never  forget 
that  picture !  At  once  we  were  on  our  way  to  this  place, 
so  sacredly  associated  with  the  life  of  our  Lord.  Our 
purpose  was  to  read  together  the  passages  of  Scripture 
recording  the  history  of  Olivet  as  it  referred  to  the 
Master. 

We  walked  down  David  street,  through  the  Street  of 
the  Cotton  Merchants,  and  out  through  St.  Stephen's 
Gate,  which  marks  the  place  where  Stephen  suffered 
martyrdom.  Thence  we  continued  down  the  steep  hill- 
side into  the  Kedron  valley.  We  were  tracing  the  foot- 
steps of  the  Galilean,  and  the  solemnity  of  the  thought 
was  overwhelming.  On  our  left  was  the  tomb  of  Mary, 
the  mother  of  Jesus,  over  which  a  chapel  has  been  erected. 
Immediately  in  front  of  us,  a  little  way  up  the  side  of 
Olivet,  stood  the  golden-domed  Russian  Church  of  Mary 
Magdalene. 

After  we  had  gone  a  few  rods  from  the  caravan  bridge 
that  spans  the  brook  Kedron,  we  came  to  the  gate  of  the 
stone  wall  which  encloses  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  or  the  Garden  of  the  Oil  Press. 
We  entered  in  silence.  There  were  the  great  gnarled 
trunks  of  the  olive  trees  that  have  witnessed  the  march 
of  the  centuries  since  the  time  when  the  world's  greatest 
conflict  was  waged  and  its  greatest  victory,  gained.  In 
this  garden,  on  that  memorable  night,  the  Saviour  three 
times  prayed,  "Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt." 
To  this  garden  gate  Judas,  the  traitor,  led  the  multitude, 
and  there  he  betrayed  the  Son  of  Man  with  a  kiss ! 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  175 

The  real  struggle  of  Jesus  was  not  on  Calvary,  but  in 
Gethsemane;  for  there  the  question  was  forever  settled. 
The  trial  and  the  crucifixion  were  but  the  carrying  out  of 
that  for  which  he  had  gained  his  full  consent.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  another,  by  means 
of  any  language  at  my  command,  the  impressions  borne 
in  upon  heart  and  mind  in  the  midst  of  those  sacred  sur- 
roundings. The  place  whereon  we  were  standing  was 
holy  ground.  Within  the  garden,  around  the  entire  wall, 
are  prayer  stations,  fourteen  in  number.  These  mark  the 
various  stages  from  the  "Agony  in  the  Garden"  to  the 
"Descent  from  the  Cross." 

There  are  three  roads  that  converge  at  Gethsemane: 
the  one  farthest  south  is  the  great  caravan  highway,  lead- 
ing from  Jericho  via  Bethphage  and  Bethany;  the  middle 
road  is  a  rugged,  fatiguing  one,  but  the  more  direct  route 
from  the  village  of  Bethany,  and  was  the  one  most  fre- 
quently travelled  by  the  Master  and  his  disciples;  while 
the  third  is  the  steepest  and  roughest  of  the  three,  and 
leads  from  the  summit  of  Olivet. 

We  made  the  ascent  by  the  last-named  road,  and  de- 
scended by  the  one  referred  to  as  the  favorite  of  our 
Lord.  As  we  sat  upon  the  rock  ledge,  on  the  brow 
overlooking  the  temple  area,  we  read  the  narrative  of  the 
triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  and  how  he  wept  over 
the  ungrateful  city  and  foretold  her  impending  doom. 

While  we  sat  there  we  read,  among  other  passages,  the 
parable  of  the  ten  virgins,  the  parable  of  the  talents  and 
the  prophetic  description  of  the  last  judgment:  "And 
before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations;  and  he  shall 
separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd  divideth 
his  sheep  from  the  goats :  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on 
his  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  the  left." 


176  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

All  about  us  on  the  rocky  terraces  were  clumps  of 
thorns,  known  as  the  "Zizyphus  spina  Christi."  From 
this  scrubby  thorn  the  crown  of  thorns  was  woven  for 
the  Sufferer's  brow. 

How  intimately,  nay  inseparably,  w^as  the  Mount  of 
Olives  connected  with  the  last  days  of  Jesus  upon  earth ! 
Olivet  was  a  favorite  resort  of  our  Lord  for  rest,  medi- 
tation and  prayer,  after  the  exhausting  ministry  of  the 
day:  'Tn  the  day-time  he  was  teaching  in  the  temple; 
and  at  night  he  went  out  and  abode  in  the  mount  that 
is  called  the  Mount  of  Olives." 

From  this  mount,  also,  he  ascended  on  the  fortieth  day 
after  the  resurrection :  "And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as 
to  Bethany,  and  he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and 
blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  while 
he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them,  and  carried 
up  into  heaven."  "And  when  he  had  spoken  these  things, 
while  they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up ;  and  a  cloud  received 
him  out  of  their  sight.  And  while  they  looked  steadfastly 
toward  heaven,  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men  stood 
by  them  in  white  apparel ;  which  also  said,  .  .  .  This 
same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall 
so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 
heaven." 

My  second  visit  to  this  sacred  mountain  was  on  the 
following  Wednesday  morning.  We  drove,  with  a  special 
guide,  over  the  Kaiser's  carriage  road  to  the  summit  of 
Olivet.  We  alighted  and  passed  through  the  gate  toward 
the  Russian  Tower. 

On  our  way  we  passed  the  Church  of  the  Ascension, 
and  discerning  that  they  were  engaged  in  morning  wor- 
ship, we  went  in.  There  we  heard  as  sweet  music  as  I 
ever  hope  to  hear  on  earth.    The  chanting  was  by  female 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  17;- 

voices  alone.  The  rendition  was  literally  by  the  "choir 
invisible,"  as  we  could  not  see  the  forms,  but  could  only 
hear  the  voices  of  the  singers.  This  church  is  built  upon 
the  traditional  spot  from  which  the  ascension  took  place. 

From  there  we  walked  to  the  four-storied  tower,  and 
began  the  fatiguing  ascent  by  the  long  flights  of  spiral 
stairs.  At  each  landing  we  halted  and  walked  around  the 
banistered  platform  on  the  outside.  As  we  ascended  our 
horizon  was  enlarged,  till  the  view  was  indescribably 
grand.  What  a  prospect!  It  was  the  choicest  hour  of 
the  morning,  for  it  was  early  enough  for  the  valleys  to  be 
in  shadow  and  the  hills  and  mountains  to  be  thrown  into 
bold  relief. 

Olivet  lay  spread  out  at  our  feet.  We  could  look  down 
into  the  valleys  of  the  Kedron  and  Hinnom.  Absalom's 
Place,  Siloam  and  the  Moslem  and  Jewish  cemeteries 
were  in  full  view.  We  had  a  commanding  survey  of  the 
Holy  City.  It  was  easy  to  locate  the  five  hills  of  Jeru- 
salem. We  could  distinguish  clearly  between  Bezetha, 
Ophel  and  Moriah  on  the  east,  and  Mount  Zion  and  Akra 
on  the  west.  The  city  walls  were  clearly  defined,  while 
we  could  comfortably  outline  the  various  quarters  of 
Jerusalem.  The  whole  temple  area  was  within  the  scope 
of  our  vision.  As  I  looked  upon  the  splendid  Haram  and 
pictured  the  magnificent  white  temple  and  palace  of  Solo- 
mon, I  thought  of  One  greater  than  Solomon,  as  he 
"walked  in  the  temple  in  Solomon's  Porch,"  one  winter 
day,  at  the  feast  of  the  dedication,  and  delivered  to  the 
people  Ws  matchless  discourse  upon  himself  as  the  Good 
Shepherd. 

How  often,  from  the  time  of  his  presentation  in  the 
temple  at  the  age  of  eight  days,  till  the  passion  week,  had 
he  frequented  those  sacred  precincts ! 


178  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  farther  view  commanded  every  point  of  the  com- 
pass. There  were  the  mountains  of  Hermon,  Samaria, 
Ephraim  and  Benjamin,  the  ancient  cities  of  Bethel  and 
Ramah,  and  the  vale  of  Shechem,  on  the  north ;  the  high- 
lands of  Jndea,  the  mountains  of  Gilead  and  Moab,  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  on  the  east ;  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  the  historic  cities  of  Hebron  and 
Bethlehem,  the  plain  of  the  shepherds,  the  field  of  Boaz 
and  Rachel's  tomb,  on  the  south ;  and  the  battle-field  o<' 
Rephaim,  or  the  Field  of  the  Giants,  Mizpeh,  the  Valley 
of  Roses,  the  Valley  of  Aijalon,  the  Valley  of  Sorek,  the 
Plain  of  Sharon  and  the  Great  Sea,  on  the  west.  Prac- 
tically, the  vast  field  of  vision  extends  from  Dan  to  Beer- 
sheba,  and  from  the  Moab  country  to  the  Mediterranean. 
Such  a  glorious  panorama  would  be  richly  worth  trav- 
elling around  the  whole  world  to  behold. 

On  the  way,  about  the  city  walls,  and  especially  on  the 

road  from  Jerusalem  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  we  were 

constantlv  met  with  the  poor,  pitiful  lepers. 

Lepers.  .     .  '  ,        .  ,  -     , 

sittmg  on  the  ground,  on  each  side  of  the 
way,  begging.  It  is  a  sight  that  makes  the  heart  sick,  as 
the  wretched  sufferers  utter  the  helpless  cry,  "Librus ! 
librus !  librus !"  at  the  same  time  exhibiting  the  awful 
deformity  of  their  limbs  to  elicit  the  sympathy  of  the 
passers  by. 

Here  I  had  an  indellible  impression  made  upon  mv 
heart  and  mind:  how  very  vividly  does  the  loathsome 
disease  of  leprosy  illustrate  sin !  First,  it  is  incurable 
but  by  divine  power;  and,  also,  it  poisons,  distorts  and 
dismembers  the  body ;  then,  it  separates  from  the  society 
of  the  healthy  and  the  clean;  at  last,  it  makes  the  de- 
struction of  the  body  certain  and  complete.  So  it  is  with 
the  disease  of  sin;  it  can  be  healed  by  the  Great  Phy- 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  179 

sician  alone;  it  poisons,  distorts,  disintegrates,  and  dis- 
members the  life,  physically,  morally,  and  spiritually;  it 
separates  from  the  society  of  the  clean,  pure,  and  holy, 
both  in  this  life  and  in  the  world  to  come ;  it,  too,  if  left 
to  do  its  work,  will  render  the  destruction  of  both  body 
and  soul  absolute. 

Universal  interest  centres  in  two  sacred  places  about 
the  Holy  City:  Calvary  and  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Cal- 
wherethey  Vary  is  a  distinct  ridge,  of  the  form  of  an 
Crucified  Him.  oval,  a  fcw  hundred  feet  from  the  Damas- 
cus Gate.  Almost  the  entire  area  is  occupied  by  a  Mo- 
hammedan cemetery.  It  is  fenced  and  guarded  by  the 
Moslems,  so  that  you  are  not  allowed  to  enter.  But  you 
can,  from  a  distance,  and  from  a  nearer  point  of  view, 
look  upon  the  place  where  the  cruel  cross  was  erected, 
and  where  "he  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  upon  the 
tree."  The  scene  of  the  crucifixion  was  outside  the  city 
walls,  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  in  a  place  where  the  throng 
could  witness  the  awful  spectacle.  This  was  done  in 
order  that  the  execution  of  the  condemned  might  impress 
the  public  with  the  extreme  horror  of  that  particular  form 
of  punishment. 

What  a  faithful  description  of  the  sufferings  and  death 
of  the  man  Christ  Jesus  we  have  in  the  fifty-third  chapter 
of  Isaiah :  "Surely,  he  hath  borne  our  griefs  and  carried 
our  sorrows :  yet  we  did  esteem  him  stricken,  smitten  of 
God  and  afiflicted.  But  he  was  wounded  for  our  trans- 
gressions, he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities :  the  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  was  upon  him;  and  with  his  stripes 
we  are  healed.  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  from  judg- 
ment: he  was  oppressed,  and  he  was  afflicted,  yet  he 
opened  not  his  mouth:  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb. 


i8o  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

so  he  opened  not  his  mouth.  He  was  numbered  with 
the  transgressors ;  and  he  bare  the  sin  of  many,  and  made 
intercession  for  the  transgressors." 

"And  after  this  Joseph  of  Arimathea  besought  Pilate 
that  he  might  take  away  the  body  of  Jesus:  and  Pilate 
gave  him  leave.  He  came,  therefore,  and  took  the  body 
of  Jesus.  And  there  came  also  Nicodemus,  which  at  the 
first  came  to  Jesus  by  night,  and  brought  a  mixture  of 
myrrh  and  aloes,  about  an  hundred  pound  weight.  Then 
took  they  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  wound  it  in  linen  clothes, 
with  the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury. 
Now,  in  the  place  where  he  was  crucified  there  was  a  gar- 
den; and  in  the  garden  a  new  sepulchre,  wherein  was 
never  man  laid.  There  laid  they  Jesus,  therefore,  because 
of  the  Jews'  preparation  day ;  for  the  sepulchre  was  nigh 
at  hand." 

The  garden  of  Joseph  is  walled  in  on  one  side  by  the 
abrupt  ending  of  Golgotha.  In  the  face  of  this  natural 
The  Holy  ^^.il  is    3.  rock-hcwn    chamber,    with    two 

Sepulchre.  apartments.  The  chamber  would  measure 
twelve  feet  in  width  by  fourteen,  in  length  by  eight,  in 
height.  There  are  three  sepulchres  in  the  chamber,  one 
the  full  length  of  a  man,  another  not  quite  so  long,  and  a 
third  apparently  cut  for  a  body  much  smaller.  The  two 
last  had  never  been  completed.  There  were  unmistakable 
evidences  that  this  burial  chamber  belonged  to  a  person 
of  wealth. 

In  the  finished  sepulchre  Joseph  laid  the  body  of  our 
Lord.  Then  a  stone  was  rolled  to  the  door  of  the  chamber 
and  sealed  with  the  seal  of  Pilate,  while  a  Roman  guard 
was  placed  before  it,  to  prevent  any  one  from  entering 
the  sepulchre.  There  the  body  lay  till  the  third  day,  when 
"the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven,  and  came 


OLIVET  AND  CALVARY.  i8i 

and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat  upon  it. 
His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and  his  raiment 
white  as  snow :  and  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  did  shake, 
and  became  as  dead  men."  Then  the  heavenly  messenger 
announced  that  he  who  could  not  be  holden  of  the  tomb ; 
had  burst  the  bars  of  death,  had  conquered  death  in 
death's  dominions,  and  was  alive  for  evermore!  The 
angel  addressed  the  women  and  said,  "  He  is  not  here ; 
for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  see  the  place  where  the 
Lord  lay." 

The  chamber  stands  practically  intact.  The  great  cir- 
cular stone  which  closed  the  door  has  been  taken  away, 
but  the  distinct  groove  in  which  it  revolved  is  there  as 
it  was  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  As  I  stood 
with  uncovered  head  in  that  sacred  place,  I  was  impressed 
with  the  unspeakable  love  of  God  as  I  had  never  been 
before.  Then,  there  was  a  thrill  of  unutterable  gratitude 
for  the  scriptural,  steadfast  hope,  begotten  by  the  know- 
ledge of  the  fact  that  he  who  had  died  for  our  sins  had 
also  risen  for  our  justification.  He  had  brought  life  and 
immortality  to  light  in  the  gospel.  From  that  chamber 
I  emerged  with  a  renewed  determination  to  proclaim  to 
my  fellow-men  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  with  an 
increasing  devotion  and  with  untiring  energy  and  faith- 
fulness. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
World's   Fourth    Sabbath-School   Convention. 

THE  First  World's  Sabbath-School  Convention  was 
held  in  London,  England,  July  the  first,  through 
the  sixth,  1889.  About  three  hundred  and  fifty  delegates 
were  in  attendance  from  America.  The  convention  met 
in  Congregational  Memorial  Hall  and  City  Temple. 
There  were  representatives  from  America,  England,  Ire- 
land, Nova  Scotia,  India,  Australia,  West  Indies,  China, 
Germany,  France,  Switzerland,  Holland,  Denmark,  Italy, 
and  Sweden. 

The  Second  Convention  met  at  St.  Louis,  September 
the  third,  through  the  sixth,  1893.  Addresses  were  made 
at  this  gathering  by  delegates  from  England,  Scotland, 
Germany,  Sweden,  India,  Holland,  Italy,  France,  Nor- 
way, Switzerland,  Denmark,  and  Japan. 

The  Third  Convention  was  held  in  London,  July  the 
eleventh,  through  the  sixteenth,  1898.  More  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  American  delegates  w^ere  there.  The 
following  countries  were  represented  at  that  convention : 
England,  Ireland,  Newfoundland,  Australia,  India,  Aus- 
tria, Belgium  France,  Germany,  Holland,  Italy,  Norway, 
Sweden,  Switzerland,  Japan,  Hawaii,  South  Africa, 
Canada,  and  the  United  States. 

The  Fourth  Convention  was  held  in  Jerusalem,  April 
the  seventeenth,  through  the  nineteenth,  1904.  The  con- 
in  Calvary's         veution  met   in  an   immense  tent,   pitched 

Shadow.  near  the  Calvary  Ridge.  The  first  session 
was  held  on  Sabbath  morning.     The  platform  was  deco- 


SABBATH-SCHOOL  CONVENTION.        183 

rated  with  more  than  twenty  flags  of  the  foremost  nations 
of  the  world.  Sitting  in  that  assembly  were  patriarchs 
of  the  Greek  Church,  monks  of  the  Franciscan  Order, 
the  Sultan's  press  censor  for  Palestine,  the  Samaritan 
high  priest  and  his  son,  from  Shechem — ^all  in  their  offi- 
cial dress.  There  were  Mohammedans,  Coptics,  Greeks, 
Arabians,  Romanists,  Armenians,  Syrian  Christians, 
Christian  Jews,  Polish,  Aleppo,  and  Spanish  Hebrews, 
while  Christian  missionaries,  fresh  from  the  field  of  ser- 
vice, were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  this  cosmopolitan  as- 
sembly. The  universal  interest  illustrated  the  influence 
and  power  of  the  Christian  religion  in  a  most  graphic 
manner.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour  before  the  appointed 
time  for  service  the  singing  of  hymns  began.  The  first 
song  was  "Blue  Galilee."  It  had  a  new  meaning  to  the 
hundreds  who  had  looked  into  the  face,  trodden  the  shores, 
and  sailed  upon  the  bosom  of  the  lake  within  the  preced- 
ing fortnight.  "Love  Divine,  all  Love  Excelling,"  was 
the  last  hymn  rendered,  just  before  the  formal  opening  of 
the  convention  by  Mr.  W.  N.  Hartshorn,  of  Boston, 
chairman  of  the  International  Committee. 

"By  the  good  providence  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  we 
have  reached  the  goal  of  our  cruise,"  were  the  happy 
words  with  which  he  began  his  brief  address. 

Prayer,  hymn,  and  Scripture  reading  followed,  in 
which  the  great  throng,  gathered  from  all  nations  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  lifted  their  hearts  in  devout  worship  of 
the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac  and  of  Jacob.  I  could  but 
think  of  what  an  inspiration  and  comfort  it  would  have 
been  to  the  college  of  apostles,  if  they  could  have  looked, 
with  prophetic  eye,  down  the  vista  of  the  centuries,  and 
witnessed  this  assembly  of  worshippers,  representing 
every  kindred  and  people  and  clime,  hard  by  the  place 
where  thev  crucified  him. 


i84  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  convention  sermon  was  delivered  by  William  Mac- 
Donald  Sinclair,  Archdeacon  of  London.  His  theme  was 
"The  Children's  Charter,"  and  the  text  Matt.  xxi.  15. 

The  most  memorable  service  of  the  convention  was  the 
celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  More  than  one  thousand  followers  of  Jesus, 
of  nearly  every  name,  tongue,  and  nation,  sat  together  at 
that  communion  table.  It  was  a  wonderful  service,  held 
within  so  short  a  distance  from  where  the  memorial  feast 
was  instituted,  nearer  still  to  Gethsemane,  and  under  the 
very  shadow  of  Calvary. 

It  was  not  so  surprising  that  a  venerable  Armenian 
Christian  at  the  service  should  exclaim,  "  This  is  heaven ; 
I  am  now  ready  to  die,"  reminding  us  of  the  aged  Simeon, 
as  he  took  the  Holy  Child  into  his  arms  in  the  temple 
and  pronounced  the  words  of  the  "Nunc  Dimittis,"  "Now 
lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace ;  for  mine  eyes 
have  seen  thy  salvation." 

At  the  evening  session  there  were  appropriate  addresses 
of  welcome  by  representatives  of  Jerusalem,  and  appre- 
ciative responses  from  the  cruise  by  chosen  members. 

There  were  three  full  sessions  held  on  Monday  and 
Tuesday,  morning,  afternoon,  and  night,  at  which  topics 
of  great  importance  to  the  Sabbath-school  were  ably  dis- 
cussed. 

The  last  session  was  of  the  nature  of  a  consecration 
service.  No  meeting  of  the  convention  was  more  dis- 
tinctly typical  of  its  spirit  and  purpose  than  the  last. 
During  that  session  Ismael  Bey,  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  in  Jerusalem,  and  press  censor  for  Palestine, 
was  introduced.  He  had  been  present  at  every  meeting 
to  see  that  nothing  unlawful  was  done  by 

Moslem  Speaks.      , 

the    convention,    and    addressed    the   great 


SABBATH-SCHOOL   CONVENTION.       185 

assembly  with  these  words :  "I  wish  first  of  all  to  thank 
you  for  the  invitation  of  the  committee  to  attend  the 
meetings  of  this  convention,  also  for  your  kind  introduc- 
tion of  me  to  this  great  audience,  and  for  your  expression 
to  our  honored  Governor  of  Jerusalem,  Kazzim  Bey.  I 
had  the  honor  to  convey  to  his  Excellency  your  action  of 
last  Sunday,  and  I  now  have  the  honor  of  bringing  to 
you  his  thanks  for  the  same.  In  my  official  position  I 
can  sympathize  with  every  effort  to  elevate  the  young. 
Should  you  ever  again  hold  your  convention  in  Jerusalem 
you  may  be  sure  of  my  welcome,  and  of  my  doing  all  in 
my  power  to  help  it  on.  I  sincerely  wish  that  the  blessing 
of  Almighty  God  may  rest  upon  you  as  you  leave  this 
sacred  city  and  return  to  your  great  Anglo-Saxon  lands 
in  the  West." 

A  trusted  general  of  his  Majesty,  king  of  kings,  Mene- 
lik  of  Abyssinia,  was  in  the  Holy  City  on  a  mission  for 
the  crown.  He  was  a  gray-bearded,  ebony-hued  man. 
He  spoke,  through  an  interpreter,  these  words:  'T  am 
very  much  pleased  to  be  here  to  witness  the  proceedings 
of  this  meeting;  and  it  shall  not  only  benefit  me,  but 
it  shall  also  benefit  his  Majesty,  the  King.  We  are  born 
into  this  world  to  study,  and  especially  to  learn  about 
the  Bible  and  ancient  things.  I  hold  that  Christianity  is 
to  be  the  light  of  the  world,  and  to  proceed  for  ever  and 
ever." 

This  Central  African  officer  contributed  four  of  the  one 
hundred  dollars  offered  as  a  birthday  gift  to  the  youngest 
member  of  the  international  family  of  Sunday-school  as- 
sociations. The  vigorous,  promising  infant  was  born  that 
very  day  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  named  "The  Sun- 
day-School Association  of  Palestine." 

Near  the  close  of  the  session  a  dignified  old  gentleman 


i86  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

tottered  to  his  feet  and  asked  to  be  heard.  This  man  was 
Joseph  Pasha,  ex-Mayor  of  Jerusalem,  and  a  member  of 
the  Peace  Conference  that  met  in  BerHn.  His  words 
were:  "I  thank  you  from  my  heart,  because  I  beUeve 
you  have  come  to  our  country  in  peace.  Thanks  to  God, 
you  have  been  good,  reasonable  people.  I  beg  you  to 
read  with  me  the  nineteenth  Psalm."  And  then  the  aged 
man  read  aloud  to  the  convention,  with  the  genuine  feel- 
ing and  deep  impressiveness  of  the  true  Oriental,  that 
matchless  hymn  of  David.  This  act  was  so  unexpected 
that  it  had  the  effect  of  a  decided  sensation  upon  the 
audience. 

In  the  convention  there  were  twenty-five  countries  rep- 
resented by  one  thousand,  five  hundred  and  twenty-six 
The  Forces  of  delegates  :  The  United  States,  Jerusalem, 
the  Gentiles,  other  sections  of  Palestine,  England,  Can- 
ada, Scotland,  Turkey  in  Asia,  Ireland,  Japan,  Wales, 
India,  Mexico,  Bulgaria,  Egypt,  Russia,  Switzerland, 
Denmark,  Turkey  in  Europe,  Australia,  West  Indies, 
Austria,  Germany,  Madeira,  South  Africa,  New  Zealand, 
Newfoundland. 

The  three  countries  with  the  largest  representation 
were:  United  States,  701 ;  Palestine,  449;  England,  206. 
In  our  ship's  company  there  were  twenty-seven  denomi- 
nations represented.  The  three  having  the  largest  dele- 
gations being:  Presbyterian,  175;  Methodist,  151;  Bap- 
tist, 120. 

There  were  two  hymns  sung  in  closing:  "Blest  be  the 
Tie  that  Binds"  and  "God  be  with  You  Till  We  Meet 
Again." 

The  Jerusalem  Convention  had  as  its  keynote  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  From  this 
gathering  of  the  servants  of  Christ  from  all  quarters  of 
the  globe  we  have  a  right  to  expect  great  results. 


SABBATH-SCHOOL  CONVENTION.        187 

In  the  vote  suggesting  the  place  for  the  Fifth  World's 
Sabbath-School  Convention  there  were  814  votes  cast, 
seventy-seven  places  voted  for,  in  twenty-six  different 
countries.  Toronto  received  the  highest  vote,  133.  The 
selection  of  a  place  will  be  left  to  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. 

The  convention  dissolved  with  the  apostolic  benedic- 
tion. 

The  delegates  were  never  to  meet  again  till  they  meet 
with  the  blood-washed  throng  around  the  great  white 
throne,  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  city  that  hath  founda- 
tions, whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Bethlehem  and  Joppa. 

OUR  visit  to  Bethlehem  was  a  dehght.  At  the  Jaffa 
Gate  we  took  a  carriage  and  drove  down  by  the 
Lower  Pool  of  Gihon,  crossing  the  gorge  upon  the  em- 
bankment of  the  pool.  Thence  we  went  southward,  pass- 
ing the  Rothschild  Addition,  on  the  right,  and  the  Hill 
of  Evil  Counsel,  Aceldema,  the  Vale  of  Hinnom  and 
Judas'  Tree,  on  our  left.  The  road  is  a  fine  one,  follow- 
ing the  watershed  nearly  all  the  way.  It  is  six  miles  to 
"David's  Town."    Every  step  of  the  way  is  historic. 

Along  this  road  Abraham  journeyed  with  Isaac.  In 
after  years  Isaac  and  Rebekah  passed  this  way.  Later 
still,  when  Jacob  returned  from  Padan-Aram,  he  travelled 
this  very  road  with  his  beloved  Rachel.  The  original 
name  for  Bethlehem  was  Ephrath  or  Ephratah.  "And 
they  journeyed  from  Bethel ;  and  there  was  but  a  little 
way  to  come  to  Ephrath.  .  .  .  And  Rachel  died,  and 
was  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  which  is 

Rachel's  Tomb,      -n     ,  ,    ,  a       ,    t         ,  •„ 

Bethlehem.  And  Jacob  set  up  a  pillar  upon 
her  grave :  that  is  the  pillar  of  Rachel's  grave  unto  this 
day."  There,  on  the  west  side  of  the  highway,  is  the 
tomb  of  Rachel,  which  no  one  can  visit  without  beins: 
touched  with  the  memory  of  the  pathetic  record  of  the 
infinitely  sad  providence  referred  to  above. 

Spreading  out  toward  the  west  was  the  plain  of 
Rephaim,  or  the  Field  of  the  Giants,  the  scene  of  the 
many  conflicts  between  the  Israelites  and  the  Philistines. 
It  was  there  that  David  met  and  slew  Goliath,  the  giant 


BETHLEHEM  AND  JOPPA.  189 

of  Gath.  "And  he  took  his  staff  in  his  hand,  and  chose 
five  smooth  stones  out  of  the  brook,  and  put  them  in  a 
shepherd's  bag  which  he  had,  even  in  a  scrip;  and  his 
shng  was  in  his  hand :  and  he  drew  near  to  the  PhiHstine. 
.  Then  David  said  to  the  PhiHstine,  Thou  comest 
to  me  with  a  sword,  and  with  a  spear,  and  with  a  shield : 
but  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the 
God  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  whom  thou  hast  defied. 
.  And  David  put  his  hand  in  his  bag,  and  took 
thence  a  stone,  and  slang  it,  and  smote  the  Philistine  in 
his  forehead,  that  the  stone  sunk  into  his  forehead ;  and 
he  fell  upon  his  face  to  the  earth.  .  .  .  And  David 
took  the  head  of  the  Philistine,  and  brought  it  to  Jeru- 
salem ;  but  he  put  his  armor  in  his  tent." 

To  the  east,  before  we  reached  Bethlehem,  we  passed 
the  field  of  Boaz,  where  Ruth  toiled  among  the  gleaners 
in  support  of  Naomi,  her  mother-in-law,  whom  she  loved. 

A  little  farther  on  was  the  village  of  the  shepherds, 
where  they  watched  their  flocks  by  night,  when  the  heav- 
enly messenger  appeared  and  announced  the  birth  of 
Jesus.  "And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds 
abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over  their  flocks  by 
night.  And  lo !  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about  them :  and 
they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said  unto  them, 
Fear  not;  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born 
this  day  in  the  City  of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ 
the  Lord.  .  .  .  And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel 
a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,  praising  God  and  say- 
ing, Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace, 
good  will  toward  men." 

As  we  were  entering  the  city  we  came  to  a  gate  in  the 


190  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

wall,  on  our  left,  opening  upon  a  court,  in  which  was 
^    ..,  ,.,  „     the  Well  of  David.    This  is  the  well  at  the 

David  s  Well. 

gate,  for  a  drink  of  whose  water  King 
David  longed  while  in  the  hold  of  the  Cave  of  Adullam. 
"Now  three  of  the  thirty  captains  went  down  to  the  rock 
to  David,  into  the  cave  of  Adullam ;  and  the  host  of  the 
Philistines  encamped  in  the  valley  of-  Rephaim.  And 
David  was  then  in  the  hold,  and  the  Philistines'  garrison 
was  then  at  Bethlehem.  And  David  longed,  and  said. 
Oh,  that  one  would  give  me  a  drink  of  the  water  of  the 
well  of  Bethlehem,  that  is  at  the  gate.  And  the  three 
broke  through  the  host  of  the  Philistines,  and  drew  water 
out  of  the  well  of  Bethlehem,  that  was  by  the  gate,  and 
took  it  and  brought  it  to  David :  but  David  would  not 
drink  it,  but  poured  it  out  to  the  Lord." 

The  spot  where  all  interest  is  concentrated  in  Bethle- 
hem is  the  Church  of  the  Nativity,  for  this  sanctuary  is 
built  over  the  site  of  the  Bethlehem  Caravanserai.  The 
streets  through  which  we  were  led  to  this  church  were 
narrow,  crooked  and  unevenly  paved.  There  is  great 
satisfaction  in  visiting  Bethlehem,  because  there  exists  no 
doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the  spot  where  the  Prince  of 
Peace  was  born. 

The  Church  of  the  Nativity  stands  within  the  walls 
of  a  monastery.  The  basilica  was  built  in  the  year  327 
A.  D.,  by  the  Emperor  Constantine,  and  it  is  the  only  one 
of  the  churches  now  remaining  in  Palestine  erected  by 
that  Christian  ruler.  The  door  by  which  we  entered  was 
hardly  four  feet  high.  After  walking  through  a  dark 
vestibule  we  were  inside  the  sacred  edifice. 

The  Latin,  Greek  and  Armenian  Christians  jointly  own 
the  monastery.  All  three  of  these  denominations  wor- 
ship in  the  church,   each  having  its  own  section,  altar 


THE  PLACE  OF  THE  MANGER. 


BETHLEHEM   AND   JOPPA.  191 

and  order  of  worship.     A  flight  o£  steps  leads  down  to 
the  Grotto  of  the  Nativity,   for  the  ancient  khan  was 
hewn  out  of  the  natural  rock.     There  we  saw  the  tomb 
of  Eusebius,  and  the  study  and  tomb  of  the  great  Jerome. 
Here  this  wonderful  historian  and  scholar  performed  his 
best  services,  and  here  his  ashes  rest.     There,  too,  we 
saw  the  "Altar  of  the  Innocents,"  which  marks  the  place 
where  twenty  thousand  children,  under  two  years  of  age, 
slaughtered  by  the  brutal  Herod,  found  a  place  of  burial. 
The  Chapel  of  the  Nativity  is  eleven  feet  wide  by  thirty- 
eight,  long.     At  the  east  end  a  marble  slab  in  the  floor, 
The  Place  of        with  a  silvcr  star  in  the  centre,  bears  these 
His  Birth,    words :      "Hie    de    Virgine    Maria    Jesus 
Christus  Natus  Est" — "Here  Jesus  Christ  was  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary."    Here  we  saw  the  place  of  the  manger. 
A  marble  trough  represents  the  real  prsesepium  or  man- 
ger, which  was  taken  to  Rome  and  placed  in  the  great 
Church  of  Santa  Maria  Maggiore. 

How  wonderful  does  it  all  seem  as  you  stand  there  and 
try  to  realize  where  you  are,  and  that  you  are  standing 
on  the  very  ground  where  the  eternal  Son  of  God  humbled 
himself  to  be  born  of  a  woman,  and  to  be  enrobed  in 
human  form  —  God  incarnate !  "And  she  brought  forth 
her  firstborn  son,  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling  clothes, 
and  laid  him  in  a  manger;  because  there  was  no  room 
for  them  in  the  inn." 

The  name  Bethlehem  is  a  pure  Hebrew  word,  and 
means  House  of  Bread.  How  divinely  appropriate  is  it 
that  it  should  be  the  birthplace  of  him  who  has  declared 
himself  to  be  the  Bread  of  life ! 

Bethlehem  is  an  attractive  town  of  about  eight  thou- 
sand inhabitants  —  all  Christians.  Nearly  one-half  are 
Modern  Romauists,    about    three    thousand    Greek 

Bethlehem.      Catholics,   and  the  rest  Armenians.     The 


192      '  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

city  is  clean  and  healthy,  and  the  people  are  industrious 
and  thrifty.  Bethlehem  was  the  home  of  Jesse,  the  de- 
scendant of  Boaz,  being  in  the  direct  ancestral  line  of 
him  who  was  of  the  stem  of  Jesse.  This  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  the  illustrious  David,  and  hence  Bethlehem 
is  called  the  City  of  David. 

We  visited  the  pretty  little  shops  of  the  city,  and  were 
soon  on  our  way  back  to  Jerusalem.  On  the  return  trip 
we  stopped  for  a  cup  of  water  at  Elijah's  Well,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  road.  There  Elijah  is  said  to  have  rested 
on  his  way  to  Beersheba,  as  he  fled  from  the  face  of  the 
wicked  Jezebel.  We  went  back  to  Jerusalem  that  evening, 
thanking  God  for  the  inexpressible  privileges  that  had 
been  ours  that  day. 

It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  we  left  the  most  inter- 
esting city  in  all  the  world  and  drove  to  the  station  to 
take  the  train  for  the  ancient  seaport  of  Joppa.  On  our 
left  we  passed  the  thriving  German  colony,  beyond  which 
lay  the  Bukeia,  or  Plain  of  Rephaim.  Farther  on  to  the 
left  we  passed  Ain  el-Haniyeh,  or  Philip's  Fountain,  the 
traditional  place  of  the  baptism  of  the  eunuch  of  Ethiopia 
by  Philip.  There  we  entered  the  Valley  of  Roses,  so 
named  from  the  wild  roses  that  bloom  in  such  profusion 
in  that  sweet  vale. 

I  was  delighted,  when  looking  out  on  each  side,  to  see 
the  beautiful  pink  and  white  wild  roses  greeting  us  at 
every  turn  of  the  winding  road,  and  filling  the  air  with 
their  delicious  fragrance.  Picturesquely  situated  at  the 
head  of  the  great  mountain  gorge  is  the  village  of  Bittir, 
or  Bether  of  the  Song  of  Solomon :  "My  beloved  is  mine, 
and  I  am  his ;  he  feedeth  among  the  lilies.  Until  the  day 
break,  and  the  shadows  flee  away,  turn  my  beloved,  and 
be  thou  like  a  roe  or  a  young  hart  upon  the  Mountains 


BETHLEHEM  AND  JOPPA.  193 

of  Bether."  Thence  we  made  a  very  rapid  descent 
through  the  wild,  rugged  caiion,  passed  the  Rock  Etam, 
or  Cave  of  Samson,  where  the  son  of  Manoah  dwelt,  after 
the  slaughter  of  the  Philistines.  A  little  farther  down 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  ruins  of  Bethshemesh,  on  the  top 
of  the  ridge  to  the  right. 

After  the  capture  of  the  ark  by  the  Philistines,  and 

the  death  of  Eli,  the  ark  of  the  Lord  was  brought  from 

Ebenezer  to  Ashdod,  and  placed  in  the  house  of  Dagon, 

their  god.    The  next  day  they  found  Dagon 

Bethshemesh.      p^Qg^j.^^^^  ^^^  ^^^]^^^  o^  the  floor.     They 

then  sent  the  ark  to  Ekron,  but  the  Ekronites  cried  out  for 
fear,  till  "the  cry  of  the  city  went  up  to  heaven."  They 
4  built  a  new  cart,  and  yoked  two  milch  kine  to  the  cart, 
while  they  confined  their  calves  at  home.  "They  laid  the 
ark  of  the  Lord  upon  the  cart,  and  the  kine  took  the 
straight  way  to  the  way  of  Bethshemesh.  And  the  Le- 
vites  took  down  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  and  the  men  of 
Bethshemesh  offered  burnt  offerings  and  sacrificed  sacri- 
fices the  same  day  unto  the  Lord." 

As  we  sped  along  we  were  carried  through  the  Valley 
of  Sorek,  so  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  downfall 
of  Samson.  There  he  is  enticed,  he  is  shorn  of  his 
strength,  he  is  bereft  of  his  eyes,  he  is  made  to  grind  in 
the  mill  at  Gaza,  and  his  last  day  is  spent  in  making  sport 
for  his  enemies,  the  lords  of  the  Philistines,  when  they 
had  assembled  to  offer  sacrifice  to  Dagon  in  praise  for 
his  having  delivered  into  their  hands  Samson,  their  most 
dreaded  foe. 

On  our  way  to  Joppa  we  passed  through  the  most  fer- 
tile region  in  all  of  Palestine.  Ekron,  Ashdod  and  Ram- 
leh  lay  in  ruins  to  the  south  of  the  road,  in  plain  view. 

To  the  north  we  could  see  the  ruins  of  Gezer,  where 


194  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  work  of  excavation  is  being  vigorously  pushed.  The 
discoveries  at  Gezer  are  of  great  interest  to  the  historian 
and  archaeologist;  for  Pharaoh  captured  this  city  and 
gave  it  for  a  present  to  his  daughter,  Solomon's  wife. 
It  being  situated  on  the  highway  between  Syria  and 
Egypt,  Solomon  wisely  rebuilt  and  fortified  Gezer. 

Between  Ramleh  and  the  mouth  of  the  great  caiion 
we  passed  through  the  valley  of  Aijalon,  where  Joshua 
defeated  the  Amorites.  It  is  still  more  notable  as  the 
place  where  the  sun  and  the  moon  stood  still  till  the  de- 
struction of  the  enemies  of  Israel  was  complete.  "Then 
spake  Joshua  to  the  Lord  in  the  day  when  the  Lord  de- 
livered up  the  Amorites  before  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
he  said  in  the  sight  of  Israel,  Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon 
Gibeon;  and  thou,  moon,  in  the  Valley  of  Aijalon.  And 
the  sun  stood  still,  and  the  moon  stayed,  until  the  people 
had  avenged  themselves  upon  their  enemies." 

The  railroad  passed  through  Lydda,  only  twelve  miles 
from  the  city  of  Joppa. 

The  Plain  of  Sharon  stretches  from  Mount  Carmel  on 

the  north  to  Gaza  on  the  south,  and  from  the  Great  Sea 

to  the  hills.     This  plain  is  from  eight  to 

Plain  of  Sharon.  .  . 

twelve  miles  wide  and  forty-four,  long. 
Here  the  blue  iris,  the  "lily  of  the  valley,"  and  white 
narcissus,  the  "rose  of  Sharon,"  abound.  Gardens  and 
corn-fields  fill  the  plain,  while  orchards  of  pomegranates, 
fields  of  melons,  groves  of  oranges,  lemons,  citrons,  figs 
and  apples,  interspersed  with  scarlet  poppies  and  tulips, 
make  a  scene  of  endless  glory,  above  which  wave  the 
groves  of  graceful  palms.  Butterflies,  bees  and  birds  fill 
the  air,  and  the  soft  haze  enhances  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape. 

As  we  rode  through  the  wheat  and  barley  fields  the 
fellahin  were  harvesting  the  grain  with  the  antiquated 


BETHLEHEM  AND  JOPPA.  195 

sickle.  The  crude  plow,  the  wooden  fork  and  the  thresh- 
ing floors  are  much  as  they  were  several  millenniums  ago. 

Passing  through  the  orange  groves,  we  were  greeted 
with  the  welcome  sight  of  the  fragrant  blossoms,  the 
green,  half-grown  fruit  and  the  golden,  ripe  oranges  — 
all  on  the  same  trees  at  the  same  time.  The  Joppa  oranges 
have  a  reputation  all  over  Syria  and  Palestine. 

Up  the  coast  is  the  desolate  and  deserted  site  of  Caesa- 
rea,  where  the  first  Gentile  convert  to  Christianity  was 
baptized,  whither  Paul  was  brought  from  Jerusalem,  and 
where  he  lived  for  two  years. 

Through  the  Plain  of  Sharon  lay  the  great  historical 
highway  between  Asia  and  Africa.  Along  this  caravan 
Historic  road   marched   the  armies   of   the   ancient 

Highway.  world  —  Thotmcs,  Rameses,  Shalmaneser, 
Sargon,  Sennacherib,  Necho,  Cambyses,  Alexander,  Pom- 
pey  and  Vespasian.  Through  this  plain.  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte hurried  his  forces  to  meet  Abdullah's  Turks, 

Joppa  is  one  of  the  oldest  known  cities  of  the  world. 
Pliny  says  it  existed  before  the  flood,  and  Josephus  tells 
us  that  the  Phoenicians  built  the  city.  It  has  always  been 
the  port  of  Jerusalem,  and  to  it  were  brought  the  timbers 
for  the  first  and  second  temples.  From  it  Jonah  took 
passage  for  Tarshish  when  he  was  trying  to  flee  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord.  "But  Jonah  rose  up  to  flee 
unto  Tarshish  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  went 
down  to  Joppa ;  and  he  found  a  ship  going  to  Tarshish : 
so  he  paid  the  fare  thereof,  and  went  down  into  it,  to  go 
with  them  unto  Tarshish  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

Joppa  was  the  home  of  Dorcas,  whom  the  Apostle 
Peter  restored  to  life,  having  been  summoned,  after  her 
death,  from  Lydda,  which  is  nigh  to  Joppa. 

Here  Simon  the  tanner  lived,  at  whose  house  Peter 


196  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

tarried  for  many  days.  We  were  shown  the  traditional 
house,  and  taken  to  the  flat  roof,  where 
Peter  at  noon  saw  the  vision  of  the  sheet 
let  down  from  heaven,  knit  at  the  four  corners.  While 
Peter  was  attempting  to  interpret  the  vision,  three  mes- 
sengers, sent  by  Cornelius  the  centurion  from  Csesarea, 
arrived.  They  explained  that  the  captain  of  the  Italian 
band  had  also  seen  a  vision.  The  outcome  of  this  inter- 
view was  that  Peter  went  to  Caesarea,  and  Cornelius  and 
all  the  other  Gentile  converts  were  baptized. 

Joppa  has  a  population  of  more  than  twenty-five  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  The  old  walls  have  been  removed,  and 
new  suburbs,  with  excellent  houses  and  splendid  gardens, 
are  springing  up  on  all  sides.  The  present  importance 
of  Joppa  arises  from  the  great  number  of  pilgrims  that 
pass  through  every  year  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem.  The 
city  is  built  upon  a  fine  elevation,  which  gives  it  an  attrac- 
tive appearance  from  the  sea,  though  the  streets  are  nar- 
row and  far  from  cleanly,  and  the  inhabitants  are  by  no 
means  prepossessing  to  the  visitor. 
Adieu  to  At  the  appointed  hour  we  stepped  from  the 

Palestine.  quay  to  the  row-boats,  which  tossed  like 
corks  upon  the  choppy  sea  of  the  inhospitable  harbor  till 
we  embarked,  and  were  once  more  at  home  on  the  Grosser 
Kurfuerst. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

Alexandria  to  Cairo. 

AT  4 :  30  that  afternoon  we  weighed  anchor  and  put 
out  to  sea,  expecting  to  arrive  at  Alexandria  the 
next  day  about  noon. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  of  April  I  went  on  deck 
at  seven,  to  find  that  we  had  sailed  by  the  entrance  to  the 
Suez  Canal  between  midnight  and  day.  We  were,  how- 
ever, too  far  from  land  to  see  the  outline  of  the  coast, 
even  if  we  had  passed  in  the  daytime.  We  could  see 
the  low,  sandy  shore,  and  from  the  houses  we  judged  that 
the  country  was  thickly  settled.  One  city  could  be  seen, 
which  had  several  thousand  inhabitants.  We  sailed 
swiftly,  and  dropped  anchor  in  the  west  harbor  at  Alexan- 
dria at  10:  30  A.  M. 

We  had  early  lunch,  and  the  passengers  were  landed 
in  small  row-boats.  At  4 :  30  the  two  special  trains  for 
Cairo  were  filled  and  on  their  way  up  the  Nile.  Mr. 
McLaurin  and  I  remained  in  Alexandria  till  the  next 
morning.  In  this  way  we  got  to  see  something  of  this 
historic  city.  This  was  our  first  opportunity  to  see  any- 
thing of  Egyptian  life.  Alexandria  is  a  beautiful  city, 
with  elegant,  clean  streets.  It  numbers  among  its  inhabi- 
tants many  Europeans,  and  its  stores  would  do  credit 
to  any  American  city. 

Alexandria  was  founded  in  the  year  332  B.   C.  by 

Alexander  the  Great,  whose  name  it  bears.     It  has  a 

Second  City        population  of  four  hundred  thousand,    and 

in  Africa,     jg  ^he  secoud  largest  city  in  Africa.    It  was 

the  Greek  capital  of  Egypt. 


198  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

The  city  stands  on  the  west  side  of  the  Delta  of  the 
Nile,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  left 
branch  of  the  river.  It  was  built  upon  a  stretch  of  land 
lying  between  the  Mediterranean  and  Lake  Mareotis.  An 
artificial  dyke,  known  as  the  "Heptastadia,"  or  seven- 
furlong  mole,  connects  it  with  the  small  island  of  Pharos. 

On  the  east  end  of  this  island  Sostratos  erected  the 
famous  lighthouse,  which  was  one  of  the  seven  wonders 
of  the  world.  It  stood  five  hundred  and  ninety  feet  in 
height,  and  conferred  the  name  "pharos"  upon  all  light- 
houses afterwards  constructed.  It  was  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake  in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  since  the  fif- 
teenth century  the  site  has  been  occupied  by  a  military 
stronghold,  "Fort  du  Phare." 

Nine  years  after  founding  the  city,  Alexander  died  at 
Babylon,  and  his  remains  were  taken  to  Alexandria  in 
a  golden  casket,  upon  a  splendid  car,  and  placed  in  a  tem- 
ple dedicated  to  his  memory. 

This  city  boasts  of  one  of  the  finest  harbors  in  the 
world — indeed,  it  is  possessed  of  two,  known  as  Port 
Est  and  Port  Ouest.  The  port  is  visited  every  year  by 
an  average  of  twenty-five  hundred  freighting  steamers, 
more  than  half  of  which  fly  the  English  Jack.  During 
its  entire  history  it  has  been  the  principal  port  through 
which  commerce  between  Egypt  and  the  rest  of  the  world 
was  carried  on.  The  chief  exports  are  cotton,  grain, 
cotton  seed,  beans,  rice,  sugar,  onions,  dates. 

The  principal  object  of  interest  in  Alexandria  is  Pom- 
pey's  Pillar.  This  monument  stands  on  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Serapeum,  or  Temple  of  Serapis.  It  is  of  red 
granite  from  Assuan,  in  Upper  Egypt.  The  height  of  the 
column  is  eighty-nine  feet.  The  round,  slightly  tapering 
shaft,  exclusive  of  its  foundation  and  Corinthian  capital, 


1 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.  199 

is  a  monolith  sixty-nine  feet  high.  Its  diameter  at  the 
base  is  nine  feet,  while  it  is  eight,  at  the  top.  The  pillar 
was  erected  as  a  landmark  to  sailors,  and  afterwards  was 
surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the  Emperor  Diocletian.  The 
name  of  Pompey's  Pillar  is  given  to  it  because  it  is  sup- 
posed to  occupy  the  site  of  the  tomb  of  Pompey  the  Great. 

There  are  two  of  the  famous  obelisks  that  will  always 
be  associated  with  Alexandria.  They  are  called  Cleopa- 
tra's Needles,  because  they  were  transported  from  Heli- 
opolis  to  Alexandria  and  set  up  there  for  her  glory.  One 
of  these  the  Khedive  presented  to  the  United  States,  and 
the  other  he  gave  to  the  good  Queen  Victoria.  The 
former  stands  on  a  commanding  site  in  Central  Park, 
New  York;  the  latter  on  the  Thames  Embankment,  just 
above  the  Waterloo  Bridge,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Thames,  in  London. 

But  great  as  Alexandria  was  in  other  respects,  its  chief 
glory  was  its  institutions  of  learning.  From  the  time 
Centre  of  ^^f  Ptolcmy  Sotcr  there  was  a  splendid  col- 

Learning.  lege  there.  Through  these  schools  the  city 
became  the  most  renowned  seat  of  learning  in  all  the 
branches  of  science  and  literature,  and  the  learned  flocked 
thither  from  all  the  countries  of  the  world.  Among  her 
instructors  and  pupils  she  had  the  honor  of  enrolling  the 
illustrious  names  of  Apollonius,  Aristarchus,  Aristo- 
phanes, Athanasius,  Callimachus,  Clement,  Euclid,  Ori- 
gen,  and  a  host  of  others  that  have  influenced  the  world. 

What  is  of  still  greater  interest  to  the  student  of  bibli- 
cal history  is  that  it  was  at  Alexandria,  and  for  the  use 
of  its  University,  that  the  celebrated  Greek 
*"f  scrrjtures""  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
was  made,  which  is  known  as  the  Septua- 
gint  Version,  or  the  translation  by  the  committee  of  sev- 


200  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

enty.  Its  schools  of  learning,  first  pagan,  then  Jewish 
and  lastly  Christian,  maintained  their  reputation  till  the 
city  was  taken  by  Khalif  Omar.  Her  conquerors  were 
astonished  at  the  greatness  and  splendor  of  their  prize. 

We  spent  the  night  at  the  Grand  Abbat  Hotel,  where 
we  were  cared  for  in  the  best  possible  manner.  The  next 
morning  we  were  up  at  five,  and  moving  out  from  the 
station  toward  Cairo  by  seven. 

The  distance  between  the  two  cities  is  one  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  miles.  A  more  enjoyable  ride  I  never  had 
than  that  one  up  through  the  Delta.  It  was  an  unbroken 
land  of  plenty  all  the  way.  I  never  saw  such  productive 
soil.  There  is  nothing  like  it  in  the  world.  Everywhere 
I  was  reminded  of  the  Scripture  statement  that  during 
the  seven  years  of  plenty  the  earth  brought  forth  by  hand- 
fuls.  We  first  crossed  the  Rosetta,  and  then  the  Dami- 
etta  branch  of  the  Nile,  before  reaching  Cairo.  The 
abundant  yields  of  wheat,  barley,  oats,  clover,  beans,  rice, 
corn,  sugar  cane,  sorghum,  cotton,  oranges,  figs,  bananas, 
apricots,  peaches,  lemons,  dates — all  bore  eloquent  testi- 
mony to  the  phenomenal  fertility  of  the  soil. 

The  land  is  well  tilled,  but  their  farming  implements 
are  of  the  most  primitive  sort.  The  ancient  one-handled 
plow,  seen  throughout  Syria  and  Palestine,  is  universally 
used  in  Egypt.  The  water-buffaloes  are,  for  the  most 
part,  employed  in  drawing  the  plows. 

All  the  land  is  irrigated  by  means  of  steam  pumps, 

water-wheels,  sweeps  or  chadoufs,  inclined  hand  pumps 

and  Archimedean  cylinders.    The  water  is 

Irrigation.  ,.-       ,     -  ,  i  <«         <«  < 

lifted  from  canals  and  wells  all  over  the 
Delta.  Hundreds  of  these  institutions  we  saw  in  opera- 
tion on  the  way  to  the  metropolis. 

One  of  the  staple  productions  of  the  Delta  is  rice,  the 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.  201 

culture  of  which  is  most  interesting  and  extensive.  The 
fellahin  were  planting  the  rice  in  the  mud  and  water,  and 
trampling  and  harrowing  it  in  with  the  buffaloes,  while 
they  were  wading  in  the  mud,  sometimes  up  to  their 
knees.  The  barley  and  wheat  fields  were  ripening  for 
the  sickle;  and  it  is  the  Hteral  sickle  by  which  the  grain 
is  harvested. 

The  cotton  is  planted  once  in  two  years.  In  August 
of  the  second  year  the  cotton  is  pruned  for  the  maturing 
of  a  second  crop.  The  rows  are  about  eighteen  inches 
apart,  and  the  stalks  from  ten  to  twelve  inches,  in 
the  row.  The  plant  grows  to  a  height  of  seven  feet^ 
but  it  does  not  branch  out  as  our  cotton  in  the  American, 
Southland  does.  The  bolls  are  much  smaller  than  ours, 
having  only  three  pods,  instead  of  four  and  five,  as  with 
us.  The  staple  is  not  so  white,  but  yellowish,  resembling 
what  is  known  as  "Nankeen"  cotton.  The  seed  is  not 
so  large,  but  of  the  same  shape  as  the  American  species. 
All  over  the  country  are  ginneries,  and  cotton-seed  oil 
mills  are  seen  at  every  important  town.  The  boll  weevil 
has  not  made  his  appearance  in  Egypt. 

Egypt  has  never  failed  in  history,  except  by  miracle, 
in  the  time  of  Joseph,  to  produce  a  crop,  although  it  sel- 
dom rains. 

The  incredible  richness  of  the  soil  is  due  to  the  annual 
overflow  of  the  Nile.  This  overflow  begins  by  the  middle 
of  June,  and  continues  till  the  middle  of  October,  attain- 
ing its  maximum  height  the  last  of  September.  The 
lowest  water  mark  is  reached  in  the  last  of  May.  The 
main  difference  between  the  maximum  and  minimum  at 
Cairo  is  twenty-five  feet. 

The  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile  is  caused  by  the  great 
rainfall  near  the  Equator  and  the  melting  of  the  snow 


202  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

on  the  Abyssinian  Mountains.    The  yearly 

Yearly  Floods.  ,     ,  r    .1.    •  r      . 

crops  are  assured,  because  of  their  perfect 
system  of  irrigation.  The  most  expert  civil  engineers  are 
employed  in  the  great  work  of  locating  the  network  of 
canals  throughout  the  arable  part  of  Egypt,  Of  course, 
it  is  a  desert  land  beyond  the  territory  inundated  by  the 
Nile. 

The  cultivable  land  is  divided  by  nature  into  two  parts. 
The  one  will  produce  a  crop  without  artificial  flooding, 
while  the  other  must  be  irrigated.  As  a  rule,  rice  is  cul- 
tivated on  the  former,  and  cotton  on  the  latter.  The  coun- 
try of  Egypt  extends  from  the  Mediterranean  on  the 
north  to  the  first  Cataract  on  the  south,  and  from  the 
Arabian  Desert  on  the  east  to  the  Libyan  Desert  on  the 
west.  The  arable  territory  of  Egypt  is  estimated  at  about 
thirteen  thousand  square  miles,  depending  upon  the 
height  to  which  Father  Nile  rises. 

The  Nile  is  one  of  the  three  longest  rivers  in  the  world, 
measuring  four  thousand  miles  in  length.  It  rises  three 
degrees  south  of  the  Equator,  and  empties  into  the  Great 
Sources  of  Sea  at  31°  36'  north  latitude.     This  great 

iheNiie.  rivcr  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  the 
White  and  the  Blue  Niles  at  the  city  of  Khartoum. 

The  White  Nile  rises  in  the  Great  African  Lakes,  and 
is  thrice  the  size  of  the  Blue  Nile,  which  finds  its  source 
in  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia. 

The  White  Nile  is  so  called  from  the  clearness  of  its 
waters,  while  the  Blue  takes  its  name  from  the  dark  ap- 
pearance of  its  muddy  waters,  bearing  their  burden  of 
rich  soil,  washed  down  from  the  mountain  sides. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Egypt  owes  its  unparalleled 
fertility  to  the  latter,  while  the  system  of  irrigation  is 
dependent  upon  the  more  abundant  supply  of  water  from 
the  former  river. 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.  203 

The  Nile  runs  in  a  single  channel  for  a  distance  of 
thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  from  the  junction  of  the 
two  Niles  at  Khartoum  to  the  point  twelve  miles  north  of 
Cairo.  There  the  Nile  divides  its  waters  into  the  Dami- 
etta  and  Rosetta  branches,  the  one  running  to  the  north- 
east and  the  other  in  a  northwesterly  direction. 

Nearly  the  entire  length  of  the  Nile  is  navigable,  it 
having  only  two  great  cataracts  to  interrupt  navigation 
from  its  sources  to  its  mouths.  At  no  place  is  the  river 
very  wide,  measuring  as  it  does  only  eleven  hundred  yards 
at  each  of  its  three  widest  points,  near  Khartoum,  Minyeh, 
and  Cairo ;  though  the  White  Nile  is  considerably  broader 
throughout  a  great  part  of  its  course  south  of  Khartoum. 

The  breadth  of  the  Nile  Valley  is  from  six  to  ten 
miles  in  Nubia,  and  from  fifteen  to  thirty-five,  in  Egypt. 
The  alluvial  deposit  of  the  Delta  averages  from  thirty-five 
to  fifty  feet,  the  average  deposit  within  the  past  three 
thousand  years  being  six  inches  to  the  century. 

There  are  two  great  dams,  called  barrages,  at  Assuan, 

and  just  below  where  the  Nile  separates  into  the  Damietta 

and  Rosetta  branches.  The  purpose  of  those 

Barrages.  ,  .  111 

barrages  is  to  conserve  and  control  the 
waters  of  the  river  for  the  great  irrigation  enterprises. 
The  flow  of  the  waters  is  guaged  by  a  perfect  system  of 
iron  sluice  gates.  The  breast  of  the  dam  at  Assuan  is 
one  mile  and  a  quarter  long,  one  hundred  feet  high  and 
eighty-eight  feet  thick  at  the  base.  The  water  in  the 
dam  is  sixty-five  feet  deep.  The  dam  is  built  of  solid 
granite  masonry.  There  were  ten  thousand  men  em- 
ployed in  the  construction  of  this  dam,  which  occupied 
nearly  five  years  for  its  completion.  The  cost  was  above 
ten  millions,  but  it  is  estimated  that  the  gain  to  Egypt, 
through  the  irrigation  of  lands  reclaimed  from  the  desert, 
will  annually  equal  the  cost  of  the  building  of  the  dam. 


204  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

From  time  immemorial  Egypt  has  been  divided  into 
two  unequal  parts,  known  as  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt. 
The  terms  "Upper"  and  "Lower"  have  reference  to  the 
direction  of  the  current  of  the  river,  hence  Upper  Egypt 
lies  south  of  Cairo,  while  the  Delta  is  embraced  in  Lower 
Egypt.  The  dividing  line  between  the  two  sections  runs 
a  little  to  the  south  of  Cairo. 

The  Nile  is  one  of  the  very  few  great  rivers  on  the 
globe  flowing  north.  Its  channel  is  deep,  as  is  shown  by 
the  high  mud  banks  at  low-water  mark,  these  being 
twenty-five  feet  in  Upper  Egypt  and  fourteen  feet  at 
Cairo. 

Egypt  is  called  the  "Gift  of  the  Nile,"  and  it  is  true 
that  no  other  country  has  been  so  influenced  by  a  river 
as  Egypt,  by  her  great  river.  This  unusual  dependence 
of  Egypt  upon  the  Nile  is  due  to  the  fact  that  practically 
no  rain  falls,  and  also  that  the  dry  winds  from  the  desert 
readily  absorb  whatever  of  moisture  there  is  in  the  Nile 
Valley. 

The  annual  inundation  of  the  River  of  Egypt  was  the 
occasion  of  the  ancient  people  of  Northeastern  Africa 
studying  the  science  of  river  engineering  and  land  sur- 
veying. The  necessity  for  controlling  and  utilizing  the 
water  forced  them  to  consider  such  problems  and  to  solve 
them. 

The  system  of  astrology  also  had  its  beginning  in  that 
same  country.  The  Egyptians  learned  to  observe  the 
same  features  in  the  face  of  the  heavens  about  the  time 
that  the  waters  began  to  rise  and  when  they  began  to 
recede.  This  came  about  in  the  most  natural  way.  And 
as  astrology  is  the  mother  of  astronomy,  this  latter  per- 
fected science  may  be  regarded  as  owing  a  great  deal  to 
this  fertile  district. 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.  205 

The  yearly  flood  blotted  out  all  lines  that  marked  the 
boundaries  between  neighboring  estates,  so  that  it  became 
necessary  for  a  record  of  land  controlled  by  each  pro- 
prietor to  be  kept.  It  would  be  difficult  to  exaggerate  the 
influence  of  the  periodic  tides  of  the  Nile  upon  the  estab- 
lishment of  social  and  political  economy. 

This  river  was  also  the  great  highway  by  which  the 
people  travelled  and  transported  their  belongings  from 
place  to  place  within  their  own  borders.  Also,  when  the 
time  came  for  the  building  of  their  great  temples  and 
monuments,  the  Nile  offered  the  only  possible  channel  by 
which  materials  from  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt  could 
have  been  carried  for  those  structures,  that  have  out- 
lived so  many  centuries.  Within  the  historic  period  no 
noticeable  change  has  taken  place  in  the  Nile. 

One  thing  in  connection  with  the  whole  subject  of 

the  Nile  and  its  influence  upon  the  world  that  interested 

me   specially  was  the  "Nilometer."     This 

Nilometer.  . 

consists  of  a  graduated  stone  pillar,  set  in 
the  water  of  the  river,  as  a  guage  to  its  height.  It  has 
been  used  from  the  earliest  periods  of  human  history. 
There  is  one  of  those  invaluable  instruments  in  the  great 
Museum  in  Cairo.  It  is  of  a  single  piece,  and  bears  upon 
its  sides  the  marks  that  are  noted  in  Egyptian  characters. 
At  Assuan  and  Cairo  they  are  still  in  use. 

The  Nilometer  controls  the  price  of  all  products  that 
spring  from  the  soil — indeed,  it  regulates  the  price  of 
everything  that  is  bought  and  sold  in  Egypt,  and  that,  too, 
without  a  competitor.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  the 
height  to  which  the  water  rises  will  determine  the  area 
covered  and  enriched  by  the  Nile.  If  the  waters  rose 
higher  than  usual  at  a  certain  date,  it  meant  that  the  har- 
vest would  be  greater,  and  as  there  is  an  unvarying  rela- 


2o6  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

tion  between  supply  and  demand,  the  prices  would  be 
correspondingly  low.  This  principle  controlled  their  in- 
ternal commerce  before  Abraham  visited  that  land,  and 
it  still  remains,  and  will  always  continue  to  decide  the 
prices  of  every  marketable  product. 

Father  Nile  is  the  dictator,  and  the  Nilometer  is  his 
faithful  servant  to  register  his  plans  and  communicate 
them  from  day  to  day.  It  would  astonish  any  observer 
to  see  how  great  an  influence  the  Nilometer  exerts  over 
the  European  and  Asiatic  markets,  because  the  fertile  soil 
of  the  Delta  is  the  source  from  which  millions  of  pounds 
of  produce  are  drawn  by  all  Asia  and  Europe  every  year. 

On  the  litde  island  of  Rhoda,  just  above  the  city  of 
Cairo,  right  near  the  spot  where  the  baby  Moses  was 
found  among  the  flags,  there  stands  the  government  Nilo- 
meter. It  consists  of  a  well  with  a  marble  shaft  set  in 
the  centre  of  it.  Here,  on  this  shaft,  the  work  of  register- 
ing is  inerrantly  done. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Great  Pyramid  and  the  Sphinx. 

THE  greatest  monument  in  the  land  of  Egypt  is  the 
Pyramid  of  Cheops,  or  the  Great  Pyramid,  at 
Gizeh.  Cairo  is  situated  on  the  right  or  east  bank  of  the 
Nile.  We  crossed  the  river  on  the  Great  Bridge  on  our 
way  to  Gizeh,  eight  miles  to  the  southwest.  The  avenue 
led  between  two  rows  of  acacia  trees  that  lined  each  side 
of  an  artificial  embankment.  On  the  drive  we  met  a 
dozen  trains  of  camels,  laden  with  rich  clover  from  the 
productive  fields. 

All  along  the  road  the  fellahin  were  offering  delicious 
strawberries  for  sale.  The  little  baskets  were  woven  out 
of  the  meadow  grasses.  We  halted  at  a  well  for  a  drink 
of  water,  where  I  bought  some  of  the  berries.  For  per- 
fection of  flavor,  I  do  not  think  those  Egyptian  straw- 
berries could  be  surpassed  in  all  the  world. 

As  the  carriage  moved  along,  the  Great  Pyramid  held 
us  as  with  an  irresistible  charm.  The  majesty  of  it  was 
enough  to  overawe  the  thoughtful.  And  yet  its  propor- 
tions are  so  perfect,  its  symmetry  is  so  fine,  as  not  to 
shock  you  in  the  least.  The  great  structure  must  be 
studied  in  order  to  be  appreciated,  even  when  one  is  on 
the  ground. 

The  Great  Pyramid  is  built  upon  a  foundation  which  is 

a  perfect  square,  with  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight  feet 

to  the  side.     The  perpendicular  height  is 

four    hundred    and    eighty-two    feet;    the 

angle  made  by  the  slope  with  the  base  is  51°  50',  and  the 


2o8  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

length  of  the  side,  from  the  base  to  the  apex,  is  six  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet. 

The  Pyramid  of  Cheops  is  buih  upon  a  plateau  of  hard 
sandstone.  The  materials  of  which  it  is  constructed  are 
sandstone,  limestone,  and  granite.  The  Great  Pyramid 
covers  an  area  of  nearly  thirteen  acres ;  about  two  million 
three  hundred  thousand  separate  blocks  of  stone,  aver- 
aging forty  cubic  feet,  were  required  for  its  construction, 
and  one  hundred  thousand  men  were  employed  in  its  erec- 
tion. Twenty  years  was  the  time  that  it  took  to  place 
this  monument  where  it  now  stands.  The  pyramid 
measures  over  three  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand cubic  yards. 

A  road  of  polished  stone  was  constructed  for  the  trans- 
portation of  the  rock  from  the  Mokattam  Quarry,  east  of 
the  Nile.  This  road  was  sixty  feet  wide,  and  in  places 
its  surface  was  forty-eight  feet  above  the  ground  over 
which  it  passed.  Ten  years  were  taken  for  the  building 
of  the  road. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  great  structure  is  the  ticket  office, 
where  you  purchase  the  privilege  of  going  to  the  top. 
There  I  stood  playing  with  a  cream-colored  baby  camel 
till  my  turn  came  to  be  served.  There  were  not  over 
thirty  that  cared  to  make  the  journey.  I  secured  two 
muscular,  agile  Bedouin  Arabs  to  aid  me  in  making  the 
ascent. 

When  the  pyramid  was  built  it  was  polished  from  the 
top  downward.  Thus  it  stood  till  the  vandal  Arabians 
disintegrated  and  carried  off  the  outer  layer.  This  left 
a  recess  to  each  layer,  all  around  the  pyramid,  which 
serves  as  a  step  for  the  climber.  But  as  some  of  the 
blocks  are  as  much  as  six  feet  thick,  the  climb  is  by  no 
means  an  easy  one. 


.     THE  GREAT  PYRAMID.  209 

The  Great  Pyramid  faces  the  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass. 

We  ascended  by  the  northeast  corner,  and  made  the 
descent  by  the  southwest.  Sometimes  my  assistants  were 
Climbing  the        pulling,  then  they  were  lifting  and  pushing, 

Great  Pyramid.  i  •        j  i  j.  •  j. 

and  agam  they  were  supportmg  me,  to 
guard  against  falling  backwards.  The  incline  is  so  steep 
that  great  care  must  be  taken  in  going  up  and  coming 
down.  A  misstep,  slip  or  loss  of  balance  might  prove 
very  disastrous — even  fatal.  The  Bedouins  are  the  best 
possible  assistants,  for  they  are  held  strictly  responsible 
by  the  government  for  any  accident  to  the  visitor.  These 
barefooted,  stalwart  denizens  of  the  desert,  with  white 
turban,  gown  and  sash,  are  as  fearless  and  active  as 
mountain  goats.  So,  after  a  hard  climb,  I  gained  the 
apex,  with  a  skinned  elbow  and  bruised  knee.  But  I 
forgot  the  struggle  and  the  slight  wounds  when  I  stood 
upright  upon  the  summit  and  looked  at  the  great  picture 
sprea3  out  before  me.  What  a  picture  of  life  and  death 
contrasted!  There,  to  the  southwest,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  hold  up,  the  great  Libyan  Desert  lay  extended 
before  my  vision.    Here  I  met  with  a  genuine  surprise: 

I  had  imagined  that  a  desert  consisted  of  a 

The  Sahara. 

vast  area  of  level  sand  ;  but  quite  the  reverse 
is  true.  The  surface  is  very  rugged  and  uneven,  being 
diversified  with  perpendicular  cliffs  of  sandstone  and 
thousands  of  sand  hills,  built  about  the  great  rocks  of  the 
desert.  In  that  dreary  waste  no  animal  or  vegetable  life 
can  exist.  After  seeing  the  surface  of  the  desert  I  could 
appreciate  how  much  greater  the  danger  would  be  to  any 
one  at  its  mercy. 

In  sharp  contrast  with  this  picture  of  death  was  the 
vision  of  life  that  greeted  me  as  I  looked  away  in  the 


210  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

opposite  direction.  In  the  southeast  the  great  river  looked 
like  a  silver  rope,  as  it  lay  in  the  middle  of  the  valley, 
now  crooked,  now  straight,  as  if  it  had  been  carelessly 
let  drop  by  the  hand  of  some  Hercules.  Very  far  up  the 
valley,  as  it  stretched  toward  the  south,  there  were  abun- 
dant signs  of  life  all  along  the  river. 

Then,  as  I  turned  toward  the  east  and  north,  I  saw 
the  "Diamond"  in  the  handle  of  the  Delta  Fan.  What 
a  magnificent  gem  it  is,  as  you  look  at  the  greatest  of  the 
cities  of  Egypt  from  the  top  of  Cheops !  Then,  beyond 
Cairo,  the  Nile,  the  network  of  irrigating  canals  and  the 
diversified  crops  on  the  alluvial  plain,  present  another 
graphic  scene  of  teeming  life  as  it  is  found  only  in  Egypt. 

One  more  look  toward  the  south  to  the  ancient  capital 
of  Egypt,  along  the  line  of  the  pyramids,  leading  from 
Gizeh  to  Memphis,  through  the  old  cemetery,  a  distance 
of  fourteen  miles.  But  while  the  desert  is  a  terrific  picture 
of  desolation  and  death,  the  purest  breath  is  that  which 
comes  from  the  lifeless  sands  of  Libya.  To  this  breeze 
from  the  southwest  is  due  in  large  measure  the  absence 
of  malaria  in  the  Delta.  I  shall  never  forget  that  glorious 
panorama  from  the  finest  view-point  in  all  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

On  the  way  down,  the  wind  from  the  desert  carried  off 
my  derby,  which  sailed  out  toward  the  west,  and  landed 
on  the  sand  one  hundred  yards  from  the  Great  Pyramid. 
As  I  saw  a  youthful  Bedouin  gliding  toward  my  hat.  I 
called  to  a  fellow-pilgrim  to  rescue  and  keep  it  for  me. 
which  he  did,  without  "backsheesh." 

I  was  one  of  a  small  half  dozen  who  went  inside  the 
Great  Pyramid.  The  entrance  is  at  the  north  side,  and 
Heart  of  the  passagc  is  only  three  and  one-half  feet 

Pyramid.        |^j^j^  ^^^  £^^^j.  ^^^^  y^\<^Q_  A  good  part  of  the 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID.  211 

way  I  had  to  crawl  and  climb,  with  my  taper  to  give 
light.  The  temperature  of  the  interior  is  79°  Fahren- 
heit. The  entrance  is  on  the  thirteenth  tier,  and  forty- 
eight  feet  from  the  ground.  The  direction  of  the  shaft  is 
downward  at  an  angle  of  nearly  twenty-seven  degrees  for 
a  distance  of  sixty  feet.  Beyond  that  point,  the  shaft 
ascends,  through  the  Great  Hall,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  feet  in  length  and  twenty-eight  feet  in  height.  Here 
the  fitting  of  the  huge  blocks  is  so  perfectly  done  that 
you  could  not  insert  the  point  of  a  cambric  needle  between 
the  joints.  This  is  not  a  matter  of  guesswork,  but  of 
actual  experiment. 

Just  before  reaching  the  Great  Hall,  I  followed  the 
horizontal  tunnel  that  led  to  the  "Queen's  Chamber." 
This  passage  is  twenty  feet  long  and  three  feet  nine 
inches  high.  I  felt  well  repaid  when  I  stood  in  the  cham- 
ber by  the  sarcophagus  of  the  Queen  of  Cheops. 

The  dimensions  of  the  Queen's  Chamber  are:  seven- 
teen feet  wide  by  nineteen  feet  long  by  twenty  feet  high. 
I  crawled  back  to  the  main  passage  and  struggled  up  to 
the  "King's  Chamber."  This  is  the  most  interesting  of 
all  the  internal  features.  It  is  seventeen  feet  wide,  thirty- 
five,  long,  and  nineteen,  high.  The  entire  room  is  lined 
with  granite  blocks,  some  of  which  are  nineteen  feet  in 
length.  There  is  nothing  in  this  chamber  but  the  empty 
granite  sarcophagus  of  the  king.  I  was  astonished  to  find 
how  the  voice  rang  in  that  chamber,  in  the  heart  of  the 
Pyramid.  The  echo  is  almost  as  perfect  as  in  the  bap- 
tistery beside  the  Duomo,  in  Pisa. 

With  my  Bedouin  attendant,  I  made  the  descent,  partly, 
by  sliding  down  the  steep  incline  on  the  polished  granite 
and  limestone.  I  never  did  appreciate  a  breath  of  fresh 
air  in  the  pure  sunlight  more  than  when  I  came  out  from 
the  Great  Pyramid. 


212  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  pyramid  is  essentially  a  tomb. 
Those  chambers  and  passages  were  built  with  the  pyra- 
mid. The  sarcophagi  were  placed  in  their  respective 
chambers,  and  then  the  embalmed  bodies  of  the  dead  were 
taken  through  the  long,  narrow  shafts  and  placed  in  the 
huge  stone  coffins.  At  the  elbow,  the  great  shaft,  three 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  above  described,  was  her- 
metically closed  with  highly  polished  granite  blocks,  the 
object  being  to  prevent  the  royal  tombs  from  being  dese- 
crated. But  the  Arabs  cut  a  tunnel  across,  through  the 
softer  limestone,  to  the  ascending  shaft. 

From  the  pyramid  of  Cheops  I  took  my  first  camel 
ride  to  the  Sphinx,  lying  not  over  four  hundred  yards 
to  the  southeast.    My  camel's  name  was  McKinley. 

The  riding  of  the  camel  is  a  most  thrilling  experience. 
The  tall,  awkward-looking  beast  is  made  to  kneel  or  lie 
First  Camel  down  for  you  to  mouut.  You  may  know 
^'^^'  that  the  camel  does  not  lie  upon  his  side 

as  the  horse  or  cow  does,  but  folds  his  long  legs  and 
tucks  his  large,  spongy  feet  underneath  his  body.  The 
riding-camel  is  supplied  with  a  deep  saddle.  You  moimt 
into  that  saddle  and  hold  tightly  to  the  pummel.  Then 
the  real  sensation  begins.  Like  the  cow,  the  camel  first 
rises  on  his  hind  legs,  and  then  the  fore  part  follows. 
After  you  are  settled  in  the  saddle  the  process  of  unset- 
tling begins.  With  the  first  movement  of  the  camel  you 
are  thrown  forward  so  violently  and  so  far  that  you  think 
you  must  fall — but  you  do  not.  Then  he  begins  to  rise 
on  his  fore  legs,  and  you  are  thrown  backward  as  far 
as  you  had  been  thrown  forward.  Then,  after  oscillating 
for  a  little,  you  prepare  for  the  voyage  on  the  "ship  of  the 
desert."  Now!  There  is  a  forward  movement  to  the 
right,  then  a  shufifling  motion  in  the  diagonally  opposite 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID.  213 

direction.  You  seem  to  yourself  to  be  describing  a  series 
of  X's  till  the  end  of  your  journey  is  reached.  Then 
there  is  more  of  the  thrilling  experience.  Again  he  must 
kneel  or  lie  down  for  you  to  dismount.  This  he  proceeds 
to  accomplish  by  an  opposite  method.  Like  the  cow,  he 
drops  to  his  knees  first,  and  afterwards  the  hinderpart 
descends.  All  the  experiences  of  mounting  must  be  re- 
peated in  dismounting,  except  that  they,  too,  are  in  the 
opposite  direction.  I  advise  any  one  to  take  one  camel 
ride  if  the  opportunity  ever  presents  itself.  It  may  be 
that  one  such  escapade  will  suffice,  though  I  took  another. 

Second  only  in  interest  and  antiquity  to  the  pyramids, 
among  the  ancient  monuments  of  Egypt,  is  the  great 
Sphinx.  It  was  carved  out  of  the  natural 
rock.  It  has  the  body  of  a  lion  and  the  head 
of  a  man.  The  Sphinx  is  lying  down,  and  looking  toward 
the  east.  Its  proportions  are  colossal.  The  length  is  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  feet ;  the  height  from  the  pave- 
ment to  the  top  of  the  head,  sixty-six  feet ;  the  face,  thirty 
feet  long,  by  fourteen  wide;  the  mouth,  seven  feet  seven 
inches ;  the  nose,  five  feet  seven  inches ;  and  the  ear,  four 
feet  six  inches.  A  six-foot  man,  standing  on  the  apex 
of  the  ear,  cannot  reach  to  the  top  of  the  head.  The 
Sphinx  has  always  represented  mystery.  There  is  much 
uncertainty  as  to  the  time  and  purpose  of  its  construction, 
as  well  as  to  the  question  by  whom  it  was  built. 

From  inscriptions  recently  deciphered  on  the  walls  of 
the  Temple  of  the  Sphinx  the  mystery  seems  to  have 
been  solved.  Leading  scientists  have  been  led  to  con- 
clude that  the  Sphinx  is  a  gigantic  image  of  Ra-Har- 
machis,  the  god  of  the  morning  and  the  conqueror  of 
darkness.  Hence,  it  faces  the  east.  The  temple  near  by 
was  erected  for  the  worship  of  Harmachis. 


214  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Ever  since  it  was  cut  from  the  rock-bed  the  Sphinx 
has  lain  in  the  same  position,  unmoved  by  the  great 
vicissitudes  through  which  the  country  has  passed.  It  has 
suffered  from  the  inevitable  influence  of  atmospheric 
changes,  and  from  the  effect  of  the  desert  sand,  driven 
by  the  winds,  slowly  cutting  away  its  features.  But  its 
disintegration  is  due  in  greater  measure  to  vandalism 
than  to  anything  else,  for  the  Mamelukes  used  its  face 
as  a  target  in  their  artillery  practice !  Under  the  control 
of  the  British,  the  nefarious  business  of  the  treasure- 
seeker  and  vandal  has  been  decidedly  checked.  All  of 
these  ancient  marks  of  human  art  and  skill  are  guarded 
and  defended  against  further  inroads,  while  the  work  of 
systematic  excavation  is  being  encouraged  and  aided  in 
every  way. 

At  a  distance  of  less  than  two  hundred  feet  to  the 

southeast  of  the  Sphinx  are  the  splendid  ruins  of  the 

Temple  of         Temple  of  the  Sphinx.     It  is  built  of  red 

Sphinx.  granite   and   Egyptian   alabaster.     Only  a 

part  of  the  ruins  have  been  rescued  from  the  encroaching 
sands  of  the  Libyan  Desert.  One  chamber  and  the  pave- 
ments were  constructed  entirely  of  alabaster,  as  were 
some  of  the  walls.  Some  of  the  fine  monolithic  granite 
pillars  are  still  in  place,  supporting  the  immense  blocks 
of  granite  used  in  the  structure.  The  granite  was  so 
highly  polished  that  you  would  think  it  had  come  from 
the  hand  of  a  modern  skilled  artist. 

To  show  something  of  the  magnificent  scale  of  the  tem- 
ple, it  is  only  necessary  to  mention  that  there  are  two 
halls,  the  one  measuring  seventy-nine  feet  in  length  and 
twenty-three  feet  in  width,  and  the  other  fifty-eight  feet 
long  by  twenty-nine  feet  wide. 

The  wonder  is  that  many  of  those  polished  granite 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID.  215 

blocks  retain  the  original  sharpness  of  their  corners,  and 
show  practically  no  signs  of  wearing  away.  No  doubt 
this  is  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  for  many  centuries  the 
ruins  were  buried  beneath  the  sand ;  for  it  is  only 
fifty  years  since  the  Temple  of  the  Sphinx  was  discovered 
and  the  work  of  excavation  was  begun. 

After  another  delightful  ride  on  the  fine  camel,  "Mc- 
Kinley,"  I  joined  the  last  of  the  party  and  returned  to  the 
modern  capital  of  Egypt  for  lunch  and  for  mail. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Heliopolis  and  Memphis. 

AFTER  lunch  we  took  carriages  for  the  wonderful 
drive  of  ten  miles  to  the  most  important  of  all  the 
ancient  cities  of  Egypt.  "Heliopohs"  is  but  the  Greek 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  name  Bethshemesh,  and  the 
Egyptian,  On.  It  is  called  the  "City  of  the 
Sun,"  because  there  the  great  temple  for 
the  worship  of  the  sun  was  erected. 

On  the  way,  just  before  we  reached  Heliopolis,  the  car- 
riages halted,  and  we  had  a  stroll  through  the  beautiful 
garden  in  which  are  the  tree  and  well  of  the  Virgin.  The 
tree  stands  on  the  traditional  spot  where  stood  the  tree 
under  whose  shadow  the  holy  family  rested  in  their  flight 
into  Egypt.  The  water  of  the  well  from  which  they 
drank  is  excellent  for  drinking.  I  quite  enjoyed  a  cup  of 
this  water,  as  it  poured  from  the  earthenware  buckets  on 
the  water-wheel.  The  wheel  was  turned  by  a  fine,  large 
ox,  blindfolded  to  prevent  dizziness.  The  well  is  used  for 
irrigating  the  garden  and  the  field  near  by.  A  short  drive 
farther,  and  we  came  to  the  site  of  the  great  university 
city  of  the  time  of  Joseph. 

The  only  remains  of  Heliopolis  are  the  fragments  of 
the  walls  of  the  city,  the  meagre  ruins  of  the  temple,  once 
so  magnificent,  and  the  obelisk. 

This  obelisk  is  the  oldest  known  to  the  world,  and  is 

the  only  one  now  standing  in  Lower  Egypt.    It  is  a  red 

Most  Ancient       granite  monolith,  sixty-six    feet    high.     A 

companion  of  this  shaft  now  stands  in  the 


HELIOPOLIS  AND  MEMPHIS.  217 

American  metropolis.  It  was  brought  on  a  specially  con- 
structed ship,  and  set  up  in  Central  Park  during  the 
administration  of  President  Rurtherford  B.  Hayes.  The 
surface  of  the  ground  has  been  so  raised  by  the  annual 
deposit  of  the  Nile  mud  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
great  shaft  was  buried  beneath  it.  This  has  been  exca- 
vated to  the  pedestal,  and  a  square  wall  has  been  built 
around  it,  at  a  distance  of  some  three  feet  from  its  four 
sides.  I  went  down  inside  the  wall,  and  found  that  the 
top  of  the  pedestal  was  six  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
land  about  it. 

Heliopolis  was  the  place  where  Joseph  married  Ase- 
nath,  the  daughter  of  Potipherah,  the  priest  of  On.  There 
is  a  captivating  little  romance  preserved  in  the  tradition 
of  the  people,  to  the  effect  that  the  two  royal  characters 
met  at  this  obelisk  when  Joseph  offered  Asenath  his  heart 
and  hand,  and  was  made  happy  by  her  acceptance  of  his 
offer. 

While  in  the  land  of  Egypt  I  learned  something  that 
interested  me  very  greatly  about  the  obelisks  and  the 
pyramids. 

The  obelisk  represented,  to  the  sun-worshipper,  a  ray 
of  light  from  the  god  of  the  day.  And  as  the  Egyptians 
regarded  the  sun  as  the  source  of  light  and  life,  the  obe- 
lisk pictured  to  them  light,  life  and  immortality.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  pyramid  represented  shadow,  darkness, 
death.  The  peculiar  pyramidal  form  suggested  the  set- 
tling down  into  the  earth  of  the  life  that  had  sprung 
from  it  through  the  power  of  the  sun,  reminding  us  of 
the  Scripture  passages,  "Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust 
shalt  thou  return,"  and  "The  dust  shall  return  to  the  earth 
as  it  was."  The  pyramid,  being  a  mausoleum,  was  al- 
ways placed  in  the  necropolis. 


2i8  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Again,  the  obelisks  were  all  on  the  east,  or  sunrise,  or 
morning,  or  life  side  of  the  great  river,  and  you  look  in 
vain  for  one  on  the  west  side.  The  pyramids  were  all 
on  the  west,  or  sunset,  or  evening,  or  death  side  of  the 
river,  and  in  vain  you  search  for  one  of  these  on  the  east 
side.  This  statement  applies  not  only  to  Lower,  but  to 
Upper  Egypt  as  well.  So,  throughout,  all  the  obelisks 
were  on  the  right  side  of  the  Nile,  while  all  of  the  seventy 
pyramids  were  on  the  left.  What  an  influence  this  great 
fact  must  have  exerted  upon  the  Egyptian  mind  during 
all  of  those  centuries  when  the  Nile  Valley  held  within 
her  grasp  the  wisdom  of  the  world ! 

The  ancient  Egyptians  were  a  very  religious  people. 
Herodotus  declared  that  it  was  as  easy  to  find  an  object 
of  worship  in  Egypt  as  a  man.  One  of  their  theories  of 
the  sun  was  that  he  was  a  powerful  hero,  born  every 
morning  of  the  goddess  of  the  sky,  and  waging  ceaseless 
warfare  with  the  powers  of  darkness.  Another  concep- 
tion was  that  the  sun  was  a  hawk,  with  brilliant  plumage, 
flying  across  the  firmament,  and  chasing  away  every  un- 
friendly cloud.  The  sun  was  also  regarded  as  bearing  the 
form  of  the  scarabseus  or  beetle,  darting  from  east  to  west 
daily,  bringing  life  and  joy  to  the  world.  These  theories 
explain  the  universal  presence  of  the  hawk  in  their  hiero- 
glyphic records  on  the  monuments  and  temples,  and  the 
images  of  the  scarab,  in  gold  and  precious  stones,  worn 
as  bracelets  and  necklaces  by  the  mummies  in  the  cities 
of  the  dead. 

I  shall  never  forget  a  masterpiece,  a  creed  in  marble, 
that  I  saw  in  the  Vatican  Museum.  The  finished  product 
was  called  "The  Nile."  It  represented  a  man  in  the  vigor 
of  his  mature  years,  reclining  upon  his  left  elbow,  holding 
a  handful  of  wheat  in  his  right  hand,  while  clusters  of 


HELIOPOLIS  AND  MEMPHIS.  219 

grapes  were  at  his  left  shoulder.  All  over  and  about  the 
strong  man  were  many  children,  who  looked  to  him  for 
their  support.  This  embodied  the  Egyptian  conception  of 
"Father  Nile,"  surrounded  by  his  dependent  children, 
every  form  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  in  the  Nile 
Valley.  Judged  from  a  pagan  standpoint,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  Egyptians  should  have  worshipped  the 
Sun,  the  source  of  life  and  light ;  and  the  Nile,  by  which 
they  were  watered,  fed  and  clothed. 

Leaving  the  royal  city,  Heliopolis,  where  Moses  was 
trained  in  all  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians,  we  returned 
to  Cairo,  We  passed  the  Palais  Taufic,  or  the  palace 
of  the  present  Khedive,  the  Mokattam  Hills,  and  through 
a  corner  of  the  land  of  Goshen.  Here  in  sight  of  the 
"Barrage  du  Nil,"  the  riches  of  earth's  harvests  were 
everywhere  in  evidence. 

Returning  from  Heliopolis  to  Cairo,  we  saw  the  skies 
grow  dark,  while  the  air  became  quite  heavy.  I  thought 
that  a  storm  was  brewing,  and  made  inquiry 
of  the  driver.  He  laughed,  and  told  me 
that  it  never  rained  in  that  part  of  the  world,  but  that 
what  I  saw  was  a  sand  storm  from  the  Libyan  Desert. 
The  winds  had  lifted  and  carried  a  great  cloud  of  sand 
and  dust  into  the  air  till  the  face  of  the  sun  was  entirely 
hidden.  The  small  particles  of  sand  and  dust  filled  the 
atmosphere  near  the  surface  of  the  earth,  so  that  we  found 
breathing  heavy  and  difficult  for  a  while. 

The  Great  Desert  has  been  behaving  after  that  fashion 
from  the  creation,  and  the  gradual  elevation  of  the  Delta 
Battle  of  is  due  to  this  agency  as  well  as  to  the  Nile 

Elements.  dcposit.  The  cffcct  is  imperceptible,  but 
the  same  forces  at  work  for  ages  produce  a  telling  result. 
The  tendency  of  the  desert  is  to  encroach  steadily,  and 


220  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  efifort  of  the  Nile  is  to  reclaim  his  lost  territory  when 
he  annually  lifts  himself  up.  Thus  the  battle  has  been 
ever  waged  between  these  two  great  powers,  the  Nile 
Valley  being  the  battle-ground. 

The  holy  Sabbath  dawned  bright  and  beautiful.  The 
sultry,  dust-laden  atmosphere  of  the  day  before  had  given 
place  to  a  delightful  clear  air  and  sky.  Mr.  McLaurin 
and  I  spent  the  morning  in  our  room  reading  again  the 
fascinating  story  of  Joseph.  At  ten  o'clock  we  walked 
to  the  American  United  Presbyterian  mission,  and  heard 
an  admirable  sermon  from  one  of  our  own  number,  Dr. 
Watkinson,  of  England.  His  theme  was  "Self  Denial," 
and  the  discourse  was  one  of  great  power. 

After  dinner  we  resumed  our  reading,  and  continued 
through  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Exodus,  where  we 
found  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  safe  and  sound,  while  the  hostile 
Egyptians  were  buried  in  a  watery  grave.  The  history 
of  God's  chosen  people  during  their  four  hundred  and 
thirty  years'  sojourn  in  Egypt  was  never  before  so  real, 
vivid,  and  impressive.  That  was  a  great  day  we  had 
studying  this  ancient  history  of  the  Israelites  upon  this 
vantage-ground.  It  was  like  reading  the  discourses  of 
our  Lord  on  the  shore  of  Galilee  and  the  brow  of  Olivet. 
At  six  in  the  afternoon  we  again  attended  worship  at  the 
mission,  and  heard  a  good  sermon  from  Dr.  McMillan, 
of  Philadelphia,  on  "Practical  Christian  Living." 

This  mission,  founded  and  supported  by  the  United 

Presbyterian  Church  of  America,  has  been  most  richly 

The  Egyptian       blcsscd  from  the  first.    They  now  have  four 

Presbyteries  located  along  the  Nile,  form- 

ing  the  Synod  of  Egypt. 

Monday  morning,  April  25th,  at  8:  30,  we  were  in  car- 
riages and  on  our  way  to  the  boat  landing,  where  the 


HELIOPOLIS  AND  MEMPHIS.  221 

Memphis  steamer  lay  waiting  to  take  us  up  the  river  on 
the  Memphis-Sakkara  trip.  The  distance  from  Cairo  to 
Bedrashen  is  eighteen  miles.  No  trip  could  have  been 
more  refreshing  than  this  fine  sail  up  the  Nile. 

On  the  way  we  passed  the  Isle  of  Rhod'a  on  the  left 

hand.    There  is  the  famous  Nilometer,  and  the  traditional 

spot  where  the  infant  Moses  was  found  by 

Basket.  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  in  a  little  basket- 

boat  among  the  bulrushes. 

The  excursion,  fishing,  and  freighting  sailships  were 
an  interesting  study.  The  style  of  rigging,  as  well  as  the 
shapes  of  the  hulls,  were  such  as  I  have  seen  nowhere 
else.  The  fishing  fleet  aflforded  us  a  very  attractive  pic- 
ture, presenting  the  appearance  of  a  flock  of  white-winged 
sea  gulls,  skimming  over  the  surface  of  the  water.  As 
we  sailed  against  the  rapid  current,  the  Mokattam  Hills 
were  on  our  left,  while  the  long  line  of  the  pyramids, 
standing  upon  the  edge  of  the  desert,  stretched  for  four- 
teen miles,  parallel  to  the  river,  on  our  right. 

The  boat's  crew  gave  a  free  entertainment  (backsheesh 
understood  and  solicited)  on  the  main  deck,  both  going 
up  and  down  the  river.  The  band  consisted  of  a  "tom- 
tom," which  is  made  of  a  hollow,  terra-cotta  cylinder, 
flared  at  one  end.  Over  the  wider  end  a  piece  of  rawhide 
is  tightly  stretched.  The  musician  sits  flat  on  the  floor, 
and  thrums  on  the  drum,  end  with  his  fingers.  The  whole 
number  of  deck  hands  keep  time  to  this  instrument  by 
clapping  their  hands  and  dancing.  Of  course,  they  are  all 
without  shoes — indeed,  the  wardrobe  of  the  average 
Egyptian  could  not  be  called  a  lavish  affair.  For  an  en- 
tertainment, unique  in  every  particular,  I  commend  that 
given  by  the  crew  of  the  Nile  Navigation  Company. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  moored  at  the  Bedrashen  Landing, 
and  enjoyed  our  delightful  lunch,  while  the  donkeys  were 


222  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

being  made  ready  for  us  on  the  shore.  After  lunch  we 
landed,  and  our  journey  across  the  country  began.  We 
passed  through  the  mud-hut  village  of  Bedrashen  on  the 
way  to  the  site  of  Egypt's  first  capital. 
Old  Capital.  There  are  few  vestiges  of  the  great  Mem- 
phis, but  undoubtedly  we  were  riding  over  the  richest  of 
treasures  to  the  archaeologist.  As  the  work  of  excavation 
proceeds  these  treasures  will  be  revealed,  as  has  been  the 
case  in  every  other  important  ruin.  The  study  of  the 
great  subject  of  Egyptology  would  be  enough  to  consume 
the  whole  time  of  the  ablest  and  most  enthusiastic  stu- 
dents of  that  wonderful  realm  of  the  long  ago. 

On  our  ride  we  soon  came  to  the  first  of  the  prostrate 
statues  of  Rameses  II.  There,  under  the  graceful,  stately 
date  palms,  the  red  granite  colossus  of  the 
once  proud  ruler  lies.  The  statue  measured 
thirty-one  and  one-half  feet  in  height,  and  was  excavated 
within  a  few  feet  of  where  it  was  when  we  saw  it.  Only 
a  little  distance  from  this  is  another  and  larger  statue  of 
the  same  king,  who  was  the  Pharaoh  that  oppressed  the 
children  of  Israel.  This  is  of  limestone,  and  is  also  lying 
prone  upon  the  ground.  This  colossus,  when  erect,  stood 
forty-two  feet  high.  These  colossi  stood  in  the  heart  of 
the  ancient  city  of  Memphis. 

In  passing  out  from  Memphis  toward  the  edge  of  the 
desert,  the  path  led  through  a  glorious  grove  of  date 
palms.  The  date  palm  is  the  most  important  of  the  fruit 
trees  of  Egypt.  There  are  twenty-seven  different  species 
of  date  produced  in  that  land.  The  date  palms  were  in 
full  blossom  when  we  were  there  the  last  week  of  April. 
The  fruit  ripens  the  later  part  of  August  and  first  of 
September. 

Our  real  desert  pilgrimage  began  at  the  skirt  of  the 
palms,  just  south  of  the  ruins  of  the  temple,  erected  for 


HELIOPOLIS  AND  MEMPHIS.  223 

the  worship  of  Ptah.  The  trip  was  in  every  way  a  novel 
one.  Each  pilgrim  was  mounted  upon  his  donkey.  The 
saddles  were  fairly  good.  You  were  expected  to  do  the 
gufding,  while  your  muleteer  did  the  driving.  The  instru- 
ment of  persuasion,  carried  in  the  hand  of  the  Egyptian, 
is  a  sharpened  stick,  about  three  feet  long.  Sometimes 
they  use  this  as  a  whip,  and  again  as  a  goad.  The  truth 
is,  they  employ  one  method  till  it  becomes  ineffective,  and 
then  resort  to  the  other.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  at  times 
they  combine  the  stimuli,  usually  with  marked  success. 
The  argument  of  last  resort,  with  the  camel,  is  croton 
oil,  rubbed  on  the  neck  and  flanks. 

Our  objective  point  was  the  necropolis  of  Sakkara.    In 
reaching  this  spot,  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  traverse  a 
Cemetery  of         Wide  dcscrt  spacc.    I  was  glad  of  the  oppor- 
Memphis.  tuuity,  as  it  afforded  the  privilege  of  seeing 

something  of  the  real  waste  that  we  had  beheld  only  at 
a  distance,  or  at  its  edge.  Sakkara  is  a  corruption  of  the 
Egyptian  Sokar,  the  god  of  the  dead  of  Memphis.  Sak- 
kara was  the  cemetery  of  Memphis,  and  was  five  miles  in 
length,  while  the  pyramids  stretch  all  the  way  to  Ghizeh, 
fourteen  miles  distant. 

The  Step  Pyramid  announces  the  presence  of  the  place 

we  are  seeking.    This  pyramid,  as  its  name  indicates,  was 

built    with    six    distinct   broad  recesses  or 

step  Pyramids.         ,  rpi,  v        ,.  r      ^ 

steps,  inese  recesses  are  about  seven  feet 
in  width.  The  first  one  is  thirty-five  feet  from  the  foun- 
dation, the  second,  seventy-five,  the  third,  one  hundred  and 
fifteen,  the  fourth,  one  hundred  and  forty-eight,  the  fifth, 
one  hundred  and  seventy,  and  the  sixth,  one  hundred  and 
ninety-six.  The  Step  Pyramid  is  one  of  the  very  oldest 
historic  monuments  in  Egypt,  it  being  the  tomb  of  King 
Zoses,  of  the  third  dynasty. 


224  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Near  the  great  Step  Pyramid  we  visited  two  tombs  of 
the  fifth  dynasty;  that  of  Ptahhotep,  one  of  the  chief 
officers  of  the  state,  and  that  of  Ti,  the  royal  architect  and 
builder  of  the  pyramids  of  the  kings.  Here  the  highest 
triumphs  of  Egyptian  art  are  to  be  seen  in  the  mural-relief 
decorations.  These  reliefs  represent  religious  and  state 
functions  of  the  highest  order.  Much  of  the  sculpture  is 
finely  and  delicately  done.  Those  two  elaborate  tombs 
were  richly  worth  the  visit,  as  we  saw  there  the  greatest 
achievements  of  the  sculptors  of  Egypt  in  her  palmiest 
days. 

From  there  we  rode  to  the  celebrated  tombs  of  the 
sacred  bulls.  There  were  hewn  out  of  the  hard  limestone 
Tombs  of  rock  Underneath  the  Egyptian   Serapeum. 

Apis  Bulls,  jj^g  ^j^Qjg  \ength  of  the  great  halls  is  three 
hundred  and  eighty  yards.  The  height  is  seventeen  and 
one-half  feet,  and  the  width  ten  feet.  On  each  side  of 
the  halls  are  the  chambers  in  which  the  sarcophagi  of  the 
Apis  bulls  were  placed. 

Apis  was  the  bull  sacred  to  the  god  Ptah,  the  ruins  of 
whose  temple  in  Memphis  is  referred  to  above.  The 
sacred  animal,  after  death,  was  embalmed  like  a  human 
being.  The  body  was  then  placed  in  a  granite  sarco- 
phagus in  one  of  the  chambers  under  the  Serapeum.  In 
each  chamber  one  sarcophagus  was  placed,  and  in  twenty- 
four  of  those  chambers  there  are  those  mammoth  stone 
coffins,  averaging  seven  feet  wide  by  eleven  feet  high,  by 
thirteen  feet  long,  and  weighing  sixty-five  tons  each.  The 
sarcophagus  was  hewn  out  of  a  single  block  of  red 
granite. 

Those  Apis  tombs  were  discovered  fifty-two  years  ago. 
They  had  been  sealed  for  thirty-eight  centuries,  and  yet 
everything  remained  as  it  was  the  day  the  bodv  of  the 
embalmed  anfmal  was  interred.     Even  the  finger  marks 


HELIOPOLIS  AND  MEMPHIS.  225 

were  still  on  the  last  stone  sealing  the  chamber,  and  the 
prints  of  the  bare  feet  of  the  Egyptians,  in  the  sand  were 
undisturbed. 

These  discoveries  seem  almost  incredible,  but  the  facts 
are  there  to  speak  for  themselves.  The  temperature  of 
the  vaults  is  seventy-nine  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Of  course, 
it  is  as  dark  as  midnight  in  the  interior,  and  we  were 
lighted  throughout  with  candles.  The  mummied  bodies 
have  all  been  removed,  and  most  of  them  were  placed  in 
the  Cairo  Museum.  The  Apis  tombs  were  elaborately 
inscribed.  What  an  undertaking  it  was  to  cut  into  the 
solid  rock,  and  form  those  extensive  halls  and  chambers, 
to  say  nothing  of  hewing  and  transporting  from  Upper 
Egypt  those  immense  sarcophagi ! 

In  all  Egypt  there  is  nothing  of  greater  interest  than 
the  tombs  of  the  sacred  bulls,  because  it  was  the  place 
where  the  objects  of  their  worship  were  entombed.  Also, 
as  the  finest  exhibit  of  their  art  and  industry,  these  tombs 
are  second  to  no  other  discoveries  in  importance. 

From  this  great  necropolis  we  returned  across  the 
desert  sands,  and  through  the  palm  groves  and  wheat  and 
bean  fields  to  the  boat  landing,  and  embarked  for  Cairo. 
The  ride  on  the  little  beasts  was  a  jolly  one. 

On  the  way  back,  we  halted  at  the  threshing  floor  of  a 
fellah.  I  mounted  the  threshing-sled  by  his  side  for  the 
novel  experience  of  seeing  how  it  was  done.  This  thresh- 
ing machine  is  a  kind  of  cart  on  rollers,  the  rollers  con- 
sisting of  wooden  cylinders  armed  with  iron  discs.  These 
broad  beans  form  a  staple  article  of  diet  for  the  tillers 
of  the  soil. 

It  was  a  funny  sight  that  we  had  of  the  donkeys  taking 
their  sun  and  sand  baths  as  soon  as  they  had  gotten  rid 
of  their  riders  and  saddles. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Egypt's  Capital  and  History. 

WE  loosed  our  hawsers  at  4 :  30,  and  in  one  hour 
and  a  half  were  at  the  dock  at  the  Nile  Bridge,  al 
Cairo.  Thence  we  drove  to  the  hotel,  and  rested  and 
wrote  up  our  journals  till  time  for  dinner.  The  costumes 
of  the  waiters  at  the  "Angleterre"  were  exceedingly  pic- 
turesque and  attractive.  The  men  would  not  average 
more  than  five  feet  six  in  height.  They  wore  the  fez  and 
different  colored  silk  gowns,  and  moved  about  with  an 
ease  and  grace  that  could  not  have  been  surpassed.  This 
is  one  of  the  tourist  hotels,  and  is  open  only  during  the 
winter  season.  On  account  of  our  coming,  they  were 
kept  running  two  weeks  beyond  their  usual  time  for  clos- 
ing. After  dinner  we  strolled  out  to  see  the  city  under 
the  bright  moon  at  first  quarter,  and  to  purchase  some 
characteristic  views  of  Egypt. 

The  next  morning,  in  good  time,  we  were  roused  from 
our  slumbers,  for  we  had  to  visit  the  Museum  of  Anti- 
quities before  noon.    Among  the  objects  of 

Cairo  Museum.  ....  ,  -  .  - 

chief  mterest  there,  we  saw  the  mummies  of 
the  Pharaohs,  the  principal  ones  of  these  being  that  of 
Rameses  11.,  the  "new  king  over  Egypt,  which  knew  not 
Joseph,"  and  that  of  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,  recently 
discovered,  whose  remains  have  never  been  unveiled. 

In  the  Cairo  Museum  we  saw  also  the  skeletons  of  the 
sacred  bulls,  and  mummies  of  crocodiles,  dogie,  cats, 
sni^kes,  monkeys,  frogs,  and  gazelles.    Some  of  the  croco- 


EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.       227 

dile  mummies  were  as  much  as  eighteen  feet  long.  There, 
in  one  case,  I  saw  the  mummied  bodies  of  a  little  girl  and 
her  pet  gazelle.  What  a  sweet  story  of  childhood  it  told ! 
Still  another  case  was  strikingly  pathetic :  in  a  casket,  the 
royal  nurse  was  sleeping,  with  her  litle  baby  lying  at 
her  feet! 

I  observed  one  significant  fact  about  nearly  all  the 
cases:  that  each  casket  contained  the  scarab  or  beetle, 
which  was  their  symbol  of  the  creator  and  the  resurrec- 
tion. Most  of  them  contained  jewelry,  fish,  date  seed,  and 
such  other  things  as  represented  food,  upon  which  the 
spirit  might  be  refreshed  on  its  periodic  returns  to  look 
after  the  welfare  of  the  body.  I  was  greatly  interested  in 
the  funeral  boats,  chairs  and  other  furniture  employed  in 
connection  with  the  burial  of  the  dead. 

Here  I  saw  the  ancient  Nilometer  used  by  the  Pharaohs 
thousands  of  years  ago.  The  model  of  Pharaoh's  chariot 
was  there,  the  original  having  been  taken  to  the  Museum 
of  Antiquities  in  Florence.  The  royal  crowns,  rings, 
necklaces,  bracelets,  and  other  articles  of  jewelry  were 
displayed  in  the  cabinets.  I  was  astonished  to  see  the 
fine  character  of  gold  chains  and  enamelling. 

It  was  a  great  surprise  to  see  how  perfectly  the  wood 
and  the  decorations  painted  on  the  wood  were  preserved. 
There  were  wooden  statues  carved  out  of  a  single  piece, 
and  likenesses,  carved  and  painted,  on  the  wooden 
mummy  cases.  There  were  the  coins,  the  implements  of 
warfare,  from  the  graceful  bow  with  dart  and  quiver  to 
the  almost  formless  stone  arrows  and  knives  found  in  the 
implement  mines. 

I  left  the  Museum  with  the  impression  that  it  was  one 
of  the  best  features  of  the  cruise.    While  there  is  some- 


228  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

thing  very  gruesome  about  all  of  those  mummies  and 
funeral  concomitants,  it  is  a  great  blessing  to  have  them, 
and  they  constitute  the  history,  written  in  no  other  form, 
of  that  wonderful  country  and  people  of  the  hoary  past. 
It  was  a  rare  privilege  to  see  it  all. 

Cairo  is  a  city  of  six  hundred  thousand  inhabitants, 
and  is  built  upon  the  east  bank  of  the  great  river,  in 
30°  6'  north  latitude.  It  is  the  most  popu- 
lous city  on  the  African  continent,  and  sit- 
uated as  it  is,  it  is  the  favorite  resort  of  tourists  and 
health-seekers  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  hotels  of 
Cairo  could  not  be  surpassed  in  any  city.  Those  occupied 
by  the  cruisers  were  Shepheard's,  Savoy,  Continental, 
Eden  Palace,  Ghezireh  Palace  and  D'Angleterre. 

Among  the  most  interesting  places  visited  in  Cairo 
were  the  Monastery  of  the  Howling  Dervishes,  the  Ala- 
baster Mosque,  the  tombs  of  the  Mamelukes  and  the  Arab 
quarters.  The  Alabaster  or  Citadel  Mosque  is  built  en- 
tirely of  Egyptian  Alabaster,  except  the  four  huge  square 
pillars  that  support  the  dome  and  the  limestone  columns 
that  stand  in  the  centre  of  the  structure.  It  is  the  finest 
of  all  the  Mohammedan  mosques,  and  is  fashioned  after 
the  St.  Sophia,  in  Constantinople.  From  the  court-yard 
we  had  our  first  sight  of  the  great  pyramid,  towering  as 
the  monarch  of  the  desert.  From  the  southwest  comer 
we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  city  and  the  surround- 
ing country.  Just  below  us  was  the  Mosque  of  Sultan 
Hasan;  to  the  north  and  west  were  the  Windmill  Hills 
and  the  green,  fertile  valley,  through  which  the  Nile  was 
majestically  flowing. 

It  was  from  that  wall  that  Emin  Bey,  upon  his  horse, 
leaped  to  the  ground,  fifty  feet  below,  rather  than  be 


EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.        229 

slain  with  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  of  his  family,  who 
had  been  invited  to  be  present  on  that  occasion,  and  were 
cruelly  massacred.  The  print  of  the  horseshoe  on  the 
renovated  wall  marks  the  point  from  which  the  fatal  leap 
was  taken.  Within  the  same  enclosure  we  visited  the 
tombs  of  the  Mamelukes,  where  we  saw  the  tomb  of  Emin 
Bey.  Cairo  is  a  beautiful  city,  whose  main  thoroughfares 
are  broad  and  clean,  whose  stores  and  bazaars  are  second 
only  to  those  of  Damascus  and  Constantinople,  and  whose 
public  gardens  exhibit  a  wealth  of  the  most  luxuriant 
specimens  of  tropical  flowers  and  ornamental  foliage 
plants. 

The  native  name  of  Egypt  was  Keme,  represented  in 
the  hieroglyphic  records  by  the  character  known  as  the 
crocodile  tail.  This  character  means  black, 
both  in  the  ancient  Egyptian  and'  Coptic  lan- 
guages. Egypt  was  called  the  black  country,  not  because 
of  the  color  of  the  skin  of  the  inhabitants,  for  that  was 
red,  but  on  account  of  the  color  of  the  soil,  the  Nile  cover- 
ing the  valley  with  a  black  mud,  and  thereby  distinguish- 
ing the  fertile  fields  from  the  surrounding  deserts. 

The  Hebrew  name  for  Egypt  was  Mizraim,  preserved 
in  the  modern  Arabic  name  for  Cairo,  El  Masr.  The 
cuneiform  inscriptions  in  Syria  and  Assyria  show  that 
Masr  was  the  name  by  which  the  ancient  people  of  Asia 
called  Egypt.  The  dual  form  of  Mizraim  was  used  to 
describe  the  whole  country  of  Egypt  as  divided  into  two 
parts.  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt.  This  division  was  not 
simply  geographical  or  political,  but  historical,  as  is  abun- 
dantly manifested  in  the  language,  customs  and  worship 
of  the  two  peoples.  The  immensely  fertile  soil,  the  ease 
of  life  under  a  sky  always  gay,  and  especially  the  protec- 


230  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

tion  afforded  by  the  geographical  position  of  the  country, 
were  natural  advantages,  which  made  the  Egyptians  the 
first  people  on  earth  with  a  history. 

The  Egyptians,  like  all  other  ancient  peoples,  assumed 
that  before  the  human  dynasties  spoken  of  in  the  annals 
began,  there  had  been  a  government  by  the  gods.  The 
name  Egypt  is  derived  from  the  term  Aigyptos,  employed 
by  Homer  to  designate  the  country  and  the  river  that 
watered  it.  The  ancient  inhabitants  of  Egypt  were  the 
children  of  a  union  between  the  aborigines  and  the  de- 
scendants of  Ham,  the  son  of  Noah.  The  Hamites  emi- 
grated from  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates,  and  crossing  the 
Red  Sea,  pushed  their  way  across  the  Arabian  Desert  to 
the  Nile,  where  they  settled  and  intermarried  with  the 
children  of  the  soil. 

The  Copts  and  Fellahin  are  the  direct  descendants  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians.  The  Copts,  for  the  most  part,  are 
the  artisans,  while  the  Fellahin  are  the  farmers  of  the 
country. 

The  prevailing  features  of  the  Egyptians  are  heavy  eye- 
lashes, almond-shaped  eyes,  straight,  smooth  eyebrows, 
Racial  wide  mouth,  thick  lips,  high  cheek-bones, 

Features.  retreating  forehead  and  broad,  flat  nose, 
As  a  rule,  the  Egyptians  are  an  industrious,  patient, 
peace-loving  race. 

The  name  Copt  is  a  corruption  of  the  Greek  term 
Aigyptos.  The  modes  of  living  among  the  Fellahin  are 
of  the  simplest  order.  The  other  elements  of  the  present 
population  of  Egypt  are  Bedouins,  or  wandering  Arabs, 
Arabian  dwellers  in  towns,  Berbers,  or  Nubians,  Soudan 
negroes,  Turks,  Armenians,  Jews,  Gypsies,  and  Euro- 
peans. The  total  population  of  Egypt  is  about  ten  mil- 
lions. 


EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.       231 

The  average  house  of  the  Egyptian  is  a  very  humble 
structure  of  mud  and  straw,  usually  thatched  with  millet 
or  sorghum.  The  people  live  in  settlements,  villages  and 
small  towns  all  over  the  Nile  Valley. 

There  are  what  might  be  called  three  seasons :  the  win- 
ter, from  November  to  April,  the  summer,  April  to 
August ;  the  autumn,  August  to  November. 

The  mean  temperature  of  Cairo  is  as  follows :  For  the 

winter,  fifty-six  degrees ;  spring,  seventy-eight ;  summer, 

eightynthree ;  and  autumn,  sixty-six.     The 

Climate.  .     .  .  i       i     •  i 

mmimum  temperature  is  reached  just  be- 
fore sunrise,  and  the  maximum  from  two  to  three  in  the 
afternoon.  Owing  to  the  extreme  dryness  of  the  climate, 
the  heat  is  not  so  oppressive  in  the  summer-time  as  the 
figures  would  indicate. 

The  Copts  are  what  are  known  as  Monophysite  Chris- 
tians, because  they  regard  the  Messiah  as  possessing  only 
a  Jivine  nature,  believing  that  the  human  nature  was 
absorbed  in  the  divine.  Almost  all  other  elements  of  the 
population  are  attached  to  the  Mohammedan  religion. 

Some  of  the  customs  of  the  Mohammedans  were  found 
very  interesting.  When  the  child  is  seven  days  old  the 
Customs  in  family  celebrates  its  birth  by  a  festival  in 
Egypt.  ^i^g  home,  when  a  name  is  given  to  the 

young  citizen.  At  the  age  of  forty  days  the  child  is 
treated  to  a  bath.  If  a  boy,  forty  bowls  of  water  are 
poured  over  the  body  of  the  infant ;  if  a  girl,  one  bowl 
less. 

Girls  are  married  at  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years. 
The  match  is  made  by  a  third  party,  and  the  bridegroom- 
elect  has  to  pay  a  certain  price,  which  is  the  bridal  portion. 
This  completes  the  marriage  contract.     Before  the  nup- 


232  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

tials  are  consummated  the  bride  is  honored  by  a  proces- 
sion to  the  bridal  bath.  The  bride  is  gaily  dressed,  and 
mounted  upon  a  camel  in  gala  trappings.  The  camel  is 
led  by  an  attendant,  preceded  by  a  band  of  musicians,  with 
hautbois  and  drums.  These  are  followed  by  several  of  the 
married  friends  and  relatives  of  the  bride,  walking  in 
pairs,  and  after  these  follow  a  number  of  young  girls. 
The  bride  is  entirely  concealed  from  view  by  the  cash- 
mere shawl,  in  which  she  is  wrapped  from  head  to  foot. 
The  procession  is  completed  by  another  band  of  musi- 
cians, following  in  the  rear.  After  this  elaborate  cere- 
mony is  over,  the  bride  is  conducted  to  the  home  of  her 
husband.  I  saw  one  of  those  bridal  processions  on  the 
way  from  Cairo  to  Alexandria. 

The  burial  customs  of  the  Moslems  are  not  less  inter- 
esting than  those  connected  with  marriage.  If  death 
occurs  in  the  morning,  the  interment  is  made  before  the 
setting  of  the  sun ;  but  if  in  the  evening,  the  burial  does 
not  take  place  till  the  next  day.  There  are  professional 
mourning  women,  who  come  to  weep  and  wail  with  the 
family  of  the  deceased  on  every  occasion  of  death  in  the 
household.  The  funeral  procession  is  led  by  half  a  dozen 
or  more  poor  blind  men,  who  chant  the  creed  of  the  Mos- 
lems. The  company  first  visit  the  mosque,  where  services 
for  the  dead  are  conducted.  Then,  after  the  body  has 
been  placed  in  front  of  the  tomb  of  a  saint,  the  procession 
is  continued  to  the  cemetery.  The  body  is  so  placed  in 
the  tomb  as  that  the  face  is  turned  toward  Mecca.  In  the 
case  of  the  rich,  a  saddle-horse  and  buflfalo  are  led  in  the 
procession.  The  buffalo  is  slaughtered  at  the  tomb,  and 
its  flesh  is  distributed  among  the  poor.  Another  thing 
you  notice,  in  the  cemeteries,  is  that  the  men  are  buried 


EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.        233 

on  one  side,  while  the  other  is  reserved  for  the  women. 

Egypt    is   divided    into   fourteen    provinces,   or   "mudi- 

riyeh."    The  ruler  of  each  province  is  called  a  "Mudir." 

The  Mudir  has  associated  with  him  in  erov- 

Government.  ... 

emment  a  Vice-Mudir,  a  chief  clerk,  a  tax 
gatherer,  an  accountant,  a  supreme  judge,  a  police  super- 
intendent, a  civil  engineer,  and  the  chief  physician  of  the 
province. 

Egypt  is  still  nominally  subject  to  Turkey,  to  which  it 
pays  an  annual  tribute  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand pounds,  but  since  1873  the  Khedive  has  been  an 
irresponsible  sovereign.  The  power  in  Egypt  that  really 
controls  is  that  which  rules  throughout  the  United  King- 
dom. A  knowledge  of  this  fact  makes  the  tourist  feel 
quite  at  home  in  the  Delta. 

During  all  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries 
many  efforts  were  systematically  made  to  interpret  the 
pictorial  records,  known  as  hieroglyphic  writings,  on  the 
venerable  monuments  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt,  but 
with  meagre  success.  The  real  key  for  the  deciphering 
of  those  mysterious  writings  was  given  in  the  wonderful 
Rosetta  Stone.  This  stone  was  found  in  Fort  St.  Julien, 
at  Rosetta,  situated  at  the  mou'th  of  the  Rosetta  branch 
of  the  Nile,  in  the  year  1799.  This  tablet  I  saw  in  the 
British  Museum.  It  consists  of  a  dark  basalt  rock,  bear- 
ing three  inscriptions :  the  first  is  in  the  ancient  Egyptian, 
written  in  hieroglyphics ;  the  second  is  in  the  language 
of  the  people  of  a  later  time ;  and  the  third  is  in  Greek. 
All  three  inscriptions  are  a  record  of  the  same  decree  of 
Kevto  the  Egyptian  priests,  written  two  centuries 

Records.  before  Christ.     The  discovery  of  the  Ro- 

setta Stone  was  of  incalculable  value,  as  it  opened  the 


234  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

library  of  the  most  ancient  of  human  annals  to  the  mind 
of  the  world. 

In  the  Scriptures,  Egypt  holds  a  place  second  only  to 
that  of  Palestine.  With  Abraham,  the  mention  of  Egypt 
in  the  Bible  begins,  and  is,  as  always,  minutely  accurate. 
The  plenty  in  Egypt,  at  that  time  of  famine,  was  the  at- 
traction, for  the  overflow  of  the  Nile  has  always  blessed 
that  land.  The  next  mention  of  Egypt  is  in  the  history 
of  Joseph.  The  Midianites  brought  "spicery,  balm  and 
myrrh,"  articles  necessary  for  embalming.  Joseph  was 
sold  to  Potiphar,  the  Captain  of  the  Guard,  which  had 
its  headquarters  in  a  famous  fortress,  known  to  the  Ro- 
mans as  the  "White  Castle,"  at  Memphis.  The  very 
prison,  where  Joseph  was  confined,  is  copied  upon  an  ex- 
isting mosaic,  found  in  a  Roman  house  at  Preneste.  By 
his  marriage  with  Asenath,  the  daughter  of  a  priest  in 
the  great  university  temple  of  the  sun,  at  On,  he  was 
incorporated  into  the  priesthood,  and  therefore  into  the 
highest  class  of  the  land.     The  land  of  Goshen,  where 

Israel  in         Joscph  Settled  his  father  and  his  brethren, 

Egypt.         vi^as  admirably    adapted    for  the  purpose. 

Goshen  was  famous  for  its  fertility ;  and  being  especially 

fitted  for  tillage,  the  Israelites  there  were  providentially 

led  to  change  from  a  pastoral  to  an  agricultural  people. 

In  direct  contact  with  Egyptian  pomp  and  splendor, 
at  a  period  when  the  nation  was  at  its  height,  the  Israel- 
ites lived  unmolested  for  two  hundred  years.  Then  op- 
pression of  the  Israelites  began.  They  were  set  to 
building,  and  beautifying  cities  for  Pharaoh.  And  the 
Egyptians  made  the  lives  of  the  Hebrews  bitter  with 
hard  bondage,  in  mortar  and  in  brick,  and  in  all  manner 
of  service  in  the  field.    But  "at  evening  time  it  shall  be 


EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.      235 

light."  To  the  weary  Israelites  day  was  about  to  dawn ; 
for  of  Amram  and  Jochebed,  Moses,  their  future  deliv- 
erer, was  born.  He  was  instructed  in  all  the  learning  of 
the  Egyptians.  But  his  mother  was  his  first  teacher,  and 
from  her  he  received  his  religion. 

When  Moses  was  eighty  years  old,  Jehovah  called  him 
to  be  the  deliverer,  leader  and  lawgiver  of  his  people  Is- 
rael. He  returned  from  Midian  to  Egypt,  and  entered 
upon  his  great  mission.  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart  and 
refused  to  let  Israel  go.  Then  followed  the  ten  great 
plagues,  which  were  directed  against  the  idolatry  of 
Egypt,  and  finally  issued  in  the  Exodus. 
Thus  the  children  of  Israel,  who  numbered 
three-score  and  ten,  when  they  came  into-  Egypt,  marched 
out  430  years  later,  under  the  leadership  of  Mo'Ses,  about 
three  million  strong.  The  history  of  God's  chosen  people 
in  the  Delta  of  the  Nile,  is  an  unbroken  record  of  Jeho- 
vah's marvelous  protection  and  care. 

Christianity  in  Egypt  dates,  according  to  tradition, 
from  Mark,  the  evangelist,  who  is  said  to  have  founded 
Religion  oi  the  Church  at  Alexandria.     In  the  second 

Christ,  century,  Alexandria  was  the  seat  of  a  theo- 
logical school,  where  the  great  Origen  taught.  This  in- 
stitution flourished  for  two  centuries,  and  trained  some 
of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  of  the  Greek  Church. 
The  Christian  religion  seems  never  to  have  leavened  the 
whole  mass  of  Egypt's  population.  In  the  7th  century, 
the  Arabs  swept  in  triumph  over  Egypt,  and,  at  the  point 
of  the  sword  forced  the  creed  of  Mohammed  upon  the 
nation.  Yet  a  considerable  number  of  the  Egyptian  Chris- 
tians remained  faithful,  and  their  descendants  constitute 
the  present  Coptic  Church.    As,  in  ability  and  training, 


236        EGYPT'S  CAPITAL  AND  HISTORY.      ' 

the  Copts  are  superior  to  the  Arabs,  they  hold  most  of 
the  positions  offered  in  the  civil  service  of  Egypt.  In  No- 
vember, 1854,  the  United  Presbyterians  of  America  inau- 
gurated a  work  among  the  degenerate  Christians  at 
Alexandria  and  Cairo.  From  the  inception  of  the  Mis- 
sion, the  purpose  has  not  been  resuscitation,  but  regenera- 
tion, among  the  Copts. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  April,  we  found  that 
Naples  had  quarantined  against  Alexandria,  on  account 
Departure  of  ^^  ^he  Bubouic  Plague,  so  by  noon  the  fol- 
Cruise.  lowiug  day,  we  were  preparing  to  leave 
Cairo,  for  our  good  ship  at  Alexandria.  On  the  way, 
we  saw  a  marriage  procession,  in  which  the  bride  was 
carried  in  a  decorated  palanquin,  borne  between  two 
camels,  preceded  and  followed  by  the  customary  festive 
attendants.  All  the  way,  we  saw  the  fine  cattle,  horses, 
camels  and  donkeys,  for  which  Egypt  has  an  unrivaled 
reputation.  On  arrival  at  Alexandria,  we  left  the  cars 
and  embarked,  without  a  moment's  delay. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Voyage  to  Naples. 

THERE  were  in  the  Alexandrian  harbor  three  Aus- 
trian men-of-war.  The  boys  merrily  waved  us  bon 
voyage,  as  we  lifted  anchor  and  steamed  out  of  port.  We 
were  glad  that  we  had  been  permitted  to  visit  that  most 
ancient  country,  but  were  also  thankful  to  turn  our  faces 
toward  Europe  again.  It  was  a  delight  to  meet  all  on 
board  once  more;  for  the  cruise  had  been  divided  and 
scattered,  from  the  time  of  our  landing  at  Beyrout.  I 
was  made  happy  by  receiving  another  letter  on  board 
from  the  home  folks,  even  if  I  had  to  pay  two  piastres 
as  postage  due.  The  pilgrims  were  all  tired  and  hungry ; 
so  after  a  good  dinner,  most  of  us  made  haste  to  retire 
for  the  night. 

On  April  the  27th,  I  rose  eafly  and  spent  an  hour,  be- 
fore breakfast,  reading  and  writing.  The  most  of  the 
day  was  occupied  in  planning  for  the  tour  of  the  Con- 
tinent and  the  British  Islands.  My  purpose  was  to  travel 
about  two  months  in  Europe,  embarking  for  New  York 
the  last  of  June.  That  day  there  were  a  number  of 
■'meetings"  on  board,  but  I  was  too  busily  and  profitably 
engaged  to  attend  one  of  them.  I  sought  bed  soon  after 
supper,  as  I  needed  rest,  after  the  days  of  great  fatigue 
in  Egypt,  and  in  view  of  the  sight-seeing  that  lay  before 
us,  within  the  next  few  days.  The  Mediterranean  was  a 
little  rough  all  night,  and  continued  so  throug'hout  the  day 
following.  On  account  of  the  troubled  sea,  there  were 
more  people   feeling  "uncertain"  than  there  had  been 


238  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

since  the  second  and  third  days  out  from  New  York. 
So  many  amusing  things  occurred  during  the  day,  that  no 
one  could  complain  of  anything  akin  to  monotony  aboard. 
To  see  the  old  and  young,  the  strong  and  the  less  vigor- 
ous, come  to  the  table,  and  then,  after  looking  pale,  and 
growing  paler  for  awhile,  suddenly  rise,  without  speaking 
to  any  one,  and  walk  out  of  the  dining-room,  was  indeed 
diverting  to  a  degree. 

It  had  been  announced  that  about  eleven  o'clock  that 
night  we  would  pass  through  the  famous  straits  of  Mes- 
sina, where  Scylla  and  Charybdis  have  always  been  the 
terror  of  the  sailor  who  dared  to  make  the  passage.  The 
island  of  Sicily  lay  to  the  south  on  our  left,  while  historic 
scyiiaand  Italy  was  on  our  right  to  the  north.  On 
Charybdis.  the  Sicily  side,  we  saw  the  large,  well-light- 
ed city,  Messina,  and  on  the  point  of  the  rock  on  our  port 
side,  was  a  brilliant  lighthouse,  that  flashed  its  broad  line 
of  white  light  across  the  narrow  channel.  The  strait  is 
only  a  few  hundred  feet  wide,  with  the  steep  hills  on  each 
shore  rising  abruptly,  making  the  scene  intensely  inter- 
esting and  imposing,  in  the  bright  moonlight.  The 
steamer  in  her  course  through  the  strait  described  the 
letter  "S"  in  sharp  outline.  We  first  sailed  in  very  close 
to  the  Sicily  rocks,  and  then  almost  as  near  to  the  "toe 
of  the  boot."  After  passing  out,  the  signal  lights  were 
given  to  the  stations  on  each  side,  for  there  was  a  great 
flash-light  on  the  mainland,  as  well  as  on  the  island.  I 
greatly  enjoyed  the  fine  frolics  of  the  porpoises  in  the 
moonlight,  as  they  raced  at  the  prow  of  the  ship.  It  was 
thrilling  in  the  extreme,  to  stand  in  the  bow  of  the  ship, 
and  watch  the  great  leviathan  carefully  following  her 
sinuous  course,  through  that  most  inhospitable  of  the 
waters  of  the  Great  Sea.     How  real  and  vivid  did  the 


VOYAGE  TO  NAPLES.  239 

mental  and  moral  picture  of  Scylla  and  Charybdis  appear, 
while  we  were  actually  making  the  passage  of  the  straits  ! 
The  effect  is  something  like  shooting  the  Lachine  Rapids : 
You  hold  your  breath  as  you  are  sailing  through,  but  you 
breathe  easy  after  the  danger  is  past.  It  was  something 
after  midnight,  when  I  hurried  down  out  of  the  bow,  to 
my  cabin,  and  sought  rest  in  the  land  of  slumber. 

The  next  day  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and  we  found 
upon  going  on  deck,  that  we  were  nearing  the  beautiful 
Bay  of  Naples.  I  passed  the  early  morning  hours  in 
doing  some  reading  and  writing,  that  could  not  wait. 
About  ten  o'clock,  we  passed  the  fascinating  little  rock. 
Enchanting  Isle.  Island  of  Capri.  The  pass,  there,  is  quite 
narrow,  with  the  mainland  on  the  north  and  Capri  on 
the  south.  On  each  side,  the  shore  is  very  precipitous. 
The  mountains  on  the  north  afford  a  grand  picture,  while 
Capri  is  altogether  unique,  in  its  abruptness  and  rugged- 
ness.  It  is  of  limestone,  and  rises  perpendicularly  out  of 
the  water  to  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet.  There  is 
a  lighthouse  on  each  end  of  the  fairy  island.  The  natural 
disintegration  of  the  limestone  has  formed  many  remark- 
able caverns,  the  principal  ones  being  known  as  the  Blue, 
White,  and  Green  Grottoes.  These  are  entered  by  row- 
boats,  the  entrance  being  so  low,  that  the  visitor  can  only 
make  the  passage  by  lying  flat  in  the  boat,  and  that,  only 
when  the  sea  is  quiet.  When  the  entrance  has  been 
gained,  the  col'oring  is  indescribably  lovely.  The  trip  to 
Capri  is  one  of  the  attractive  excursions,  of  one  day,  from 
Naples.  A  good  contingent  from  the  cruise  took  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  enchanting  isle.  The 
anchor-place  at  Naples  is  twenty  miles  from  Capri,  so 
we  were  a  little  more  than  one  hour  from  our  anchorage 


240  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

when  we  passed  Capri.  Soon  after  entering  the  bay,  the 
great  Vesuvius  towered  into  view !  The  cone  of  this 
mountain  of  fire  is  a  model  of  symmetry.  The  summit 
rises  4,197  feet  above  the  Bay.  From  the  crater,  an  im- 
mense volume  of  smoke  and  steam  is  constantly  rising. 
A  great  river  of  lava  is  seen,  stretching  down  the  valley 
between  Vesuvius  and  Monte  Somma.  The  color  of  the 
lava  river  is  greyish-brown,  while  that  a  few  hundred  feet 
from  the  summit  is  white  in  appearance,  from  the  sea. 

The  doomed  The  last  fierce  outburst  was  in  the  year 
Cities  1900.  The  ill-fated  cities  of  Pompeii  and 
Herculaneum  lay  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the  one  to 
the  south,  the  other  to  the  southwest.  There  is  something 
awful  in  the  sig-ht  of  the  smoking  mountain,  particularly 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  two  historic  cities,  above  re- 
ferred to,  were  buried  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  under  the 
ashes  and  lava,  nineteen  centuries  ago. 

We  were  very  fortunate  in  entering  the  harbor  just  in 
time  to  see  the  naval  escort  of  thirteen  battle  ships,  of 

Guest  of  President  Loubet,  of  France.  Just  as  the 
Honor.  President's  ship  loosed  from  her  moorings, 
with  Loubet  and  the  King  of  Italy  on  board,  the  flagship 
fired  the  first  gun  of  the  royal  salute.  Then  there  were 
twenty-one  guns  from  each  of  the  thirteen  men-of-war, 
firing  in  all  directions.  The  sight  and  sound  were  vividly 
suggestive  of  a  great  naval  battle,  as  the  entire  fleet  was 
enveloped  in  smoke.  By  the  time  the  smoke  began  to 
clear  away,  the  response  of  the  Italian  fleet  opened.  The 
movements  of  the  great  sea-fighters,  as  they  took  their 
position  in  line,  were  orderly  and  majestic.  It  was  a  great 
experience,  for  I  had  never  seen  a  gun  fired  from  a  man- 
of-war  before.  One  of  our  battleships,  the  "Kentucky," 
lav  anchored  in  the  harbor.     She  was  clad  in  a  robe  of 


VOYAGE  TO  NAPLES.  241 

white,  an<J  gaily  decorated  for  the  occasion,  in  honor  of 
the  other  two  fleets.  She  dipped  her  flag  in  recognition 
of  the  Americans,  as  her  band  played  "America." 

Right  near  us  was  the  "Erin,"  the  splendid  steam  yacht 
of  Sir  Thomas  Lipton,  with  the  "Shamrock"  floating  from 
her  mainmast.  The  generous  sportsman  came  aboard  the 
Kurfuerst,  to  exchange  greetings  with  the  Americans. 
As  Naples  had  quarantined  against  Alexandria,  we  were 
held  under  quarantine  regulations  for  several  hours,  while 
we  passed  the  official  examination,  and  our  soiled  linen 
was  taken  to  the  quarantine  station  and  fumigated.  After 
all  of  this  was  over,  we  were  allowed  to  land,  by  five 
o'clock.  After  dinner,  some  of  us  went  over  to  see  the 
city  and  the  illuminations.  The  decorations  were  very 
elaborate,  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the  President  of 
France.  I  have  never  seen  so  beautiful  a  bay  as  that  of 
Naples.  It  has  so  many  features  to  make  it  attractive. 
The  general  contour  of  the  bay,  the  fine  opening  to  the 
south,  its  lovely  surface,  reflecting  the  soft  Italian  sky, 
like  a  mirror  of  burnished  silver,  the  delightful  city  of 
Neapolis,  crowned  with  the  Castle  of  Saint  Elmo,  and 
the  awful,  smoking  furnace  of  Vesuvius — ^all  combine  to 
make  an  exquisite  picture.  At  sunset,  we  were  favored 
with  another  naval  display,  which  we  welcomed  most 
heartily.  At  the  lowering  of  the  flags,  used  in  the  fes- 
tivities connected  with  Loubet's  visit,  the  whole  Italian 
fleet  engaged  in  most  vigorous  cannonadiTig.  The  rever- 
berations, from  the  placid  bosom  of  the  bay,  to  the  steam- 
crowned  summit  of  Vesuvius,  were  a  perfect  delight.  But 
one  of  the  very  finest  sights  I  ever  witnessed,  was  the 
one  I  beheld  about  one  hour  after  the  sunset  gun  was 
fired:  Vesuvius,  with  all  his  majesty,  apparelled  in  a 
robe  of  April  foliage,  with  valleys  of  lava  marking  the 
folds  of  his  garments,  and  crowned  with  a  glorious  cap  of 


242  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

white  cloud,  was  directly  east  of  us ;  the  setting  sun 
spread  a  subdued  light  over  the  waters  and  land,  east  of 
Saint  Elmo,  and  shed  a  mellow,  purplish  afterglow  upon 
the  mountains,  behind  which  he  was  sinking  to  rest.  It 
was  then  that  a  surprise  came.  The  moon  was  at  the  full. 
Just  after  the  departure  of  the  king  of  the  day,  the  queen 
of  the  night  rose  clear,  to  the  south  of  Mount  Vesuvius, 
and  flooded  the  Bay  with  her  silvery  light.  The  picture 
was  complete.  The  sweet  azure  sky,  influenced  by  both 
the  gold  and  silver  lights,  made  possible  an  effect  that 
could  hardly  be  surpassed,  and  never  described.  The 
memory  of  that  view  will  linger  with  me  through  life. 
We  had  our  first  glimpse  of  Italian  life  undfer  most  fa- 
vorable auspices.  It  was  a  gala  season,  and  the  illumina- 
in  Gala  tions  at  the  Palazzo  Reale  and  the  Munici- 

Attire.  pjo  were  simply  gorgeous.  All  along  the 
principal  thoroughfares,  the  decorations  were  profuse, 
and  the  pyrotechnic  display  was  lavish.  There  were  many 
thousands  of  people,  of  all  ages  and  ranks,  streaming  in 
all  directions.  The  street  cars  and  cabs  were  doing  a 
thriving  business.  After  a  long,  entertaining  tramp  of 
three  hours,  Mr.  Coulter  and  I  returned  to  the  ship  for 
a  good  night's  rest.  The  next  day  dawned  most  auspi- 
ciously and  the  Bay  of  Naples  was  as  beautiful  under 
the  new  conditions,  as  it  had  been  on  the  previous  after- 
noon and  evening.  As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  the 
Rome  division  were  taken  ashore,  to  find  carriages  for 
the  morning's  drive  through  Naples.  The  forenoon  was 
spent  in  visiting  the  Aquarium  and  the  Museum.  The 
chief  attraction  at  the  Aquarium  was  the  octopus.  It 
was  the  privilege  of  a  lifetime.  I  have  been  informed  that 
those  are  the  only  specimens  to  be  seen  in  any  aquarium 
in  the  worid.  I  have  yet  to  see  another  creature  quite  so 
horrible  and  forbidding,  in  appearance,  as  that  strange 


VOYAGE  TO  NAPLES.  243 

pirate  of  the  lower  strata  o£  the  tropical  seas.  The  elec- 
tric eel  was  there  to  "shock"  every  one  who  was  bold 
enough  to  give  him  a  trial.  I  was  rash  enough  to  take 
him  up  in  my  hands,  and  I  can  imagine  that  I  still  feel 
the  vigorous,  electric  force  of  this  natural  galvanic  bat- 
tery. There  were  the  finest  specimens  of  the  sea-horse, 
the  crab,  the  lobster,  and  the  entire  family  of  shell  fish. 
From  the  most  highly  organized,  to  the  lowest  forms,  of 
sea-animal  life — ^all  were  there  to  be  seen.  It  was  a  great 
opportunity  for  there  is  no  other  aquarium  that  will  com- 
pare with  that  of  Naples. 

From  the  Aquarium,  we  drove  to  the  great  Museum. 
Among  the  objects  of  chief  interest  there,  were  the  re- 
sults of  the  discoveries  and  excavations  at  Pompeii  and 
Herculaneum.  The  former  city  was  destroyed  in  the  year 
79,  A.  D.,  by  being  buried  forty  feet  deep  under  ashes, 
pumice  stone,  and  hot  water,  from  the  crater  of  Monte 
Somma ;  the  latter  was  overwhelmed  by  a  great  volume  of 
black  lava  from  Monte  Vesuvio.  The  Museum  contains 
many  hundreds  of  specimens  of  statuary,  mural  decora- 
tions, cooking  utensils,  other  industrial  implements,  ar- 
mor, and  some  fine  examples  of  jewelry  of  that  ancient 
period.  The  wooden  articles  were,  in  some  instances, 
well  preserved.  In  the  collections,  there  were  very  many 
of  their  coins.  The  bronze  specimens  could  be  located  by 
the  peculiar  effects  of  the  eruptions  from  the  two  vol- 
canoes. Those  of  Pompeii  showed  a  greenish-white  cor- 
rosion; those  from  Herculaneum  were  much  darker,  al- 
most black,  from  the  action  of  the  hot  sulphur  from  Vesu- 
vius. Many  subjects  of  the  statuary  and  paintings,  in  the 
other  halls  and  galleries,  were  splendidly  conceived  and 
executed.  I  thought  the  tapestry  and  ivory  carvings  were 
amone  the  most  interesting  of  the  great  exhibit.  There 
were  many  artists  there,  copying  the  best  works;  and 


244  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

there,  too,  was  a  gallery  for  the  display  and  sale  of  such 
copies.  My  only  regret  was  that  the  time  was  limited  for 
seeing  so  much.  At  the  door  we  took  carriages  foir  the 
Porta  Marina,  where  we  took  the  tender  for  the  Kur- 
f  11  erst. 

After  lunch,  we  made  ready  for  our  trip  to  the  Eternal 
City.  Our  contingent  required  two  sections,  of  sixteen 
"carros"  each.  We  were  astonished  at,  and  charmed  with, 
the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  soil  of  southern  Italy,  and 
the  splendid  system  of  cultivation.  Practically  every 
square  yard  of  available  soil  is  planted  and  cultivated, 
and  the  yield  is  almost  fabulous.  The  potatoes,  tomatoes, 
strawberries,  cabbages,  beans,  flax,  clover,  orchards,  and 
vineyards  were  spread  out,  for  many  unbroken  leagues. 
The  vines  trellissed  upon  the  green  trees,  stretching  from 
one  to  another,  over  thousands  of  acres  of  plain,  valley, 
and  mountain  side,  presented  to  me  a  new  feature  of 
grape-culture.  Then  the  blue  Apennine  Mountains,  under 
the  afternoon  and  evening  sky,  were  a  dream  of  grandeur. 
The  highest  of  the  range  were  gowned  in  a  dazzling 
fabric  of  snow.  So,  all  the  afternoon,  we  were  enter- 
tained and  enchanted  by  an  uninterrupted  panorama  of 
beauty,  till  the  sun  began  to  sink,  and  the  shadows  fell 
over  the  land,  whose  glories  he  had  made  visible  during 
the  day.  Then  again,  we  were  made  happy  by  the  rising 
of  the  moon,  as  she  entered  upon  her  nocturnal  vigil.  She 
was  in  her  glory,  and  the  sky  was  ideal.  I  would  not  be 
vain  enough  to  attempt  to  paint  the  scene,  as  the  silver 
planet  rose  and  looked  from  behind  the  mountains,  over 
which  we  had  been  dimbing.  We  were  a  tired  company, 
and  after  our  "Kurfuerst  lunch,"  without  a  motion,  we 
all  took  a  nap,  till  we  drew  near  to  the  city  of  Rome. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Rome. 

OUR  first  introdtiction  to  Rome's  ancient  greatness 
was  a  glimpse  of  the  grey  ruins  of  the  aqueduct 
and  city  wall.  On  arrival  at  Rome  we  were  promptly  di- 
rected to  the  carriage  that  was  ready  to  take  us  to  the 
Marini  Hotel.  My  first  impression  of  Rome  was  a  most 
favorable  one.  I  reached  my  room  a  little  before  mid- 
night. I  was  assigned  to  a  room  all  tO'  myself,  and  was 
comfortably  quartered. 

The  next  day  was  Sabbath,  May  the  first.    After  early 
Sabbath  in      breakfast,  I  went  with  Mr.  Coulter  and  his 
Rome.  daughter  to  St.  Peter's.     On  the  way,  we 

walked  without  a  guide.  Our  first  view  of  the  "Yellow 
Tiber"  was  from  the  "Umberto  Ponte,"  as  we  crossed 
toward  the  new  Palace  of  Justice.  Thence  we  walked 
down  the  right  bank  of  the  Tiber,  passing  the  Mausoleum 
of  Hadrian,  or  Castello  San  Angelo,  till  we  entered  the 
Via  Nuova,  which  led  us  up  to  the  largest  church  in  the 
world.  I  was  wonder-struck  as  I  approached  the  Colon- 
nade, which  serves  as  an  introduction  to  the  great  San 
Pietro.  There  are  three  rows  of  columns,  built  on  cir- 
cular lines,  on  each  side  of  the  approach^ — ^each  leading  to 
St.  Peter's — ithe  one  on  the  right,  and  the  other  on  the 
left.  In  the  centre  of  the  circle  stand's  one  of  the  great 
obelisks,  from  Heliopolis,  Egypt.  This,  like  all  its  com- 
panions, is  a  monolithic  shaft.  On  each  side  of  the  obe- 
lisk, there  is  a  fountain,  forty-six  feet  in  height.  Thence 
we  ascended  the  long  flight  of  stone  steps,  leading  up  to 
the  doors  of  the  Mecca  of  the  Roman  Catholic  world.  We 


246  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

were  in  time  for  the  celebration  of  high  mass,  by  the 
College  of  Cardinals.  There  was  an  elaborateness  of  de- 
tail, in  the  functions  of  the  celebrants,  that  we  had  never 
before  witnessed.  After  the  service,  we  spent  some  time 
in  walking  around  in  the  immense  structure,  with  its 
seven  altars.  The  vastness  of  the  dome  fairly  staggers 
Papal  you.    The  Tombs  of  the  Popes,  down  to  the 

Tombs.  late  Leo  XIIL,  are  very  full  of  interest  to 
the  student  of  history.  To  the  devout  Catholic,  the  Tomb 
of  St.  Peter  is  a  most  holy  place.  There  the  lamps  never 
go  out,  and  there  the  marble  statue  of  Sextus  IV.  ever 
kneels  before  the  shrine  of  St.  Peter.  There  too,  is  the 
bronze  statue  of  St.  Peter,  the  toes  of  whose  right  foot 
have  been  worn  away  by  the  kisses  of  the  faithful.  That 
part  of  the  foot  has  been  renewed,  and  has  worn  away  a 
second  time,  till  a  second  renewal  will  soon  become  a 
necessity.  This  bears  eloquent  testimony  to  the  power  of 
a  religious  sentiment.  It  will  make  men  do  what  the  com- 
bined armies  of  the  world  could  never  compel  them  to  do. 
To  me  the  most  wonderful  attractions  about  St.  Peter's 
The  Great  wcre  the  Mosaics,  that  are  the  admiration  of 
Mosaic  every  visitor.  The  coloring,  and  the  me- 
chanical fitting  of  the  tiny  bits  of  marble,  in  those  mas- 
terpieces, are  so  perfectly  done,  that  the  observer  will 
not  infrequently  fail  to  discover  that  the  work  has  not 
been  done  with  brush  or  pencil.  Among  the  best  of 
these  pictures  are,  the  "Transfiguration,"  the  "Baptism 
of  Jesus,"  the  "Death  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,"  and  the 
"Last  Communion  of  St.  Jerome."  In  the  Baptism  of 
Jesus  the  shading  is  so  perfect  that  the  feet  of  the  Master 
show  distinctly,  under  the  water,  as  He  stands  to  receive 
baptism  at  the  hands  of  the  faithful  forerunner.  By 
twelve  o'clock,  we  were  on  our  way  back  to  the  Marini. 


ROME.  247 

As  I  stood  on  the  Ponte  San  Angelo  and  looked  down 
at  the  swift  current,  I  thought  the  descriptive  term, 
"tawny,"  as  applied  to  the  Tibier,  exceedingly  appropriate. 
The  color  is  always  yellowish,  on  account  of  the  light  soil 
that  is  mingled  with  the  waters,  as  they  wash  the  south- 
western slopes  of  the  Apennines.  After  lunch,  I  went  out 
to  find  the  Presby'terian  church,  where  Dr. 
Gray  was  to  deliver  a  lecture  on  "St.  Paul 
in  Rome."  That  was  a  masterful  discourse,  and  proved 
very  profitable  to  all  who  heard  it.  From  there,  we  went 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  where  a,  congress  of 
all  the  Sabbalth-schools  in  Rome,  was  to  be  held.  The 
entire  service  was  in  the  Italian  tongue,  which  is  liquid 
and  musical.  It  is  inspiring  to  observe  that  the  Sabbath- 
school  is  accomplishing  the  same  results  for  the  peoples 
who  speak  other  languages,  that  it  is  for  the  millions  in 
the  home-land.  Leaving  this  church,  we  walked  down 
"Via  XX.  Setembre,"  to  the  Quirinal  Palace  Gardens. 
In  this  beautiful  park  we  sat  and  rested,  enjoying  the 
splendid  grounds,  the  fine  equestrian  statue  in  bronze,  and 
the  people  of  the  city,  as  they  came  and  went.  I  was 
charmed  with  the  little  Italian  children  that  I  saw  there. 
The  most  attractive  babies  and  white-aproned  nurses,  that 
I  saw  outside  of  America,  were  in  the  lovely  city  of  Rome. 
In  the  centre  of  the  Piazza  del  Quirinale,  stands  a  foun- 
tain with  an  antique  basin.  There  I  was  delighted  with 
the  colossal  statues  of  the  Hoirse  Tamers,  one  of  which 
is  Alexander  taming  Bucephalus.  Thesie  splendid  tri- 
umphs in  marble  were  executed  by  Phidias  and  Praxi- 
teles, respectively. 

Thence  we  turned  our  steps  toward  the  hotel,  and  un- 
expectedly stumbled  upon  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the 
200  fountains  of  the  city.  Any  one  who  has  seen  Rome, 
could  readily  tell  what  fouritain  I  had  reference  to.    Trevi 


248  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

Fountain  lies  in  a  natural  basin,  and  is  supplied  by  a  large 
aqueduct.  It  has  the  roar  of  a  cataract,  as  the  water 
rushes  from  the  many  orifices,  leaping  from  one  rock  ter- 
race to  another,  till  it  rests  in  the  semi-circular  basin  at 
your  feet.  The  limestone  is  artistically  carved,  so  as  to 
represent  the  natural  rock.  So  well  has  the  artist  done 
his  work,  that  it  requires  more  than  a  passing  glance  to 
detect  that  it  is  artificial.  The  chiseling  is  exquisite. 
There  are  fig  trees,  lilies,  ivy,  rhododendra,  and  grapes, 
still  to  be  seen  in  this  masterpiece.  Out  of  the  wall  from 
which  the  water  is  gushing,  Neptune  is  seen  riding  in  his 
shell-car,  drawn  by  two  magnificent  sea-horses,  driven  by 
as  many  tritons.  Above  the  fountain  stand  four  fine 
statues,  representing  the  four  seasons  of  the  year.  Under 
the  rocks,  sheltered  from  the  rushing  tide,  were  the  most 
bewitching,  irresistible,  maiden  hair  ferns,  some  of  which 
I  plucked  to  send  home  in  a  letter  to  be  written  that 
night.  The  sweet  picture  of  the  Trevi  Fountain  will  re^ 
main  with  me  for  a  long  time  to  come.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  if  the  visitor  returns  to  this  fountain,  the  night 
before  departing  from  the  city,  and  throws  a  coin  into 
the  cascade,  he  will  be  sure  to  return  to  Rome  some  day. 
I  did  not  cast  the  coin,  but  I  did  visit  Trevi  Fountain  be- 
fore breakfast,  the  morning  we  left  for  Naples.  I  re- 
turned to  my  hotel  in  time  for  supper,  after  which  I  en- 
joyed writing  a  long  letter  home, 

Monday  we  were  up  at  the  call  of  the  porter  for  early 
breakfast,  to  be  ready  for  all-day  drive  and  sight-seeing. 
At  the  appointed  hour,  we  started  for  the  Pincian  Gar- 
dens. There  we  enjoyed  the  most  dtelightful  views  to  be 
had  from  the  east  side  of  the  Tiber.    The  drive  through 

The  Water  the  garden  was  delicious.  There  we  found 
Clock.  3  water  clock,  the  first  one,  in  operation,  I 


ROME.  ^49 

had  ever  seen.  As  its  name  signifies,  this  clock  is  run  by 
water-power,  the  mechanism  being  simple  and  perfect. 
This  clock  never  needs  winding.  Upon  the  pond  under- 
neath, was  a  mother  swian,  with  her  five  babies, 
clad  in  diown.  It  was  a  sweet  picture  that  they  gave  us, 
as  we  paused  for  a  few  moments,  while  the  kodak  fiends 
got  in  some  of  their  work.  The  finest  prospect  is  had 
from  the  terrace  overlooking  the  Piazza  del  Popolo.  Fronn 
there  we  saw  St.  Peter's,  the  Vatican,  the  Pantheon,  the 
Capitol,  and  the  Palazzo  Regio.  On  leaving  the  Collis 
Hortorum,  we  drove  to  Sebasti  &  Reali's  bank,  where  we 
received  letters  from  home.  After  we  had  finished  read- 
ing our  letters,  we  were  driven  to  the  Museum  of  Statu- 
ary, behind  St.  Peter's.  There  we  had  the  privilege  of 
seeing  some  of  the  masterpieces  of  the  sculptor's  art. 
The  Sculptor's  Amoug  the  finest  were  Apollo  Belvedere, 
Model.  and  the  Torso  Belvedere  Hercules,  which 
has  always  been  the  model  for  the  masculine  form  in 
sculpture.  This  famous  Torso  was  'the  favorite  study  of 
Michael  Angelo. 

There,  too,  are  the  original  statues  of  Venus  and  Min- 
erva, models  of  perfection  in  feminine  beauty.  The  Glad- 
iator in  the  act  of  "scraping"  his  limbs,  after  the  contest, 
the  busts  of  Julius  and  Augustus  Caesar,  the  boxers,  and 
II  Nil,  or  Father  Nile,  are  classics  in  the  realm  of  art. 
In  the  Hall  of  Animals,  there  were  some  splendid  tri- 
umphs, among  which  was  "Lupa  et  Gemini"  or  "The 
Wolf  and  the  Twins."  All  too  soon,  we  were  call'ed  from 
this  feast  to  another. 

We  went  next  to  the  Vatican  Museum.  Within  the 
gateway  were  stationed  the  Swiss  Guards  of  the  Pope, 
whose  fantastic  unifo'rm  was  designed  by  Michael  An- 
gelo.   Our  guide  facetiously  remarked  that  Michael  An- 


250  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

gelo  was  a  fine  sculptor  and  painter,  but  a  very  poor 
tailor!  We  ascended  the  Scala  Regia,  leading  up  to  the 
Where  Popes       Sistine  Chapel,  where  the  Popes  are  elected 

are  made,  ^y  the  College  of  Cardinals.  The  end  of 
this  Chapel,  opposite  the  altar,  is  entirely  covered  by  the 
creations  of  Angelo,  *'  The  Last  Judgment."  Seven 
years  of  the  great  artist's  life  were  given  to  this  picture. 
It  was  unveiled  on  Christmas  Day.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ing of  this  building  are  occupied  by  the  wonderful  works 
of  the  same  genius.  Among  those  that  would  first  at- 
tract you  is  the  creation  of  Eve,  where  Adam  sleeps,  and 
wakes  to  find  Eve,  his  help-meet,  from  God's  gracious 

Raphaers  hand.  From  there,  we  went  into  the  hall, 
Triumph,  where  we  saw  the  three  greatest  works  of 
Raphael:  "The  Transfiguration,"  "The  Madonna,"  and 
"The  Last  Communion  of  St.  Jerome."  We  left  the  Vati- 
can, regretting  that  we  could  not  spend  as  many  weeks  as 
we  had  hours,  at  both  Museums.  Thence  we  were  driven 
across  the  Tiber  to  the  hotels,  where  we  were  refreshed 
with  a  delightful  lunch.  After  lunch  we  drove  to  the 
"Forum  of  Trajan,"  the  "Great  Forum  of  Rome,"  the 
"Colosseum,"  the  "Pantheon,"  and  "St.  Peter's."  At  the 
Great  Forum,  we  saw  the  Rostrum,  from  which  the  silver- 
tongued  prince  of  orators,  Cicero,  hurled  his  invincible 

Where  the      powcr  agaiust  Cataliuc  and  his  fellow  con- 

Peopie  Meet,  spirators.  In  that  very  place,  the  head  of 
the  orator  was  afterwards  hung,  and  the  most  shameless 
abuse  was  heaped  upon  the  memory  of  the  great  man,  by 
a  wicked  and  depraved  empress.  There  we  saw  the  spot 
where  Caesar  was  stabbed  by  Brutus,  while  exclaiming, 
"Et  Tu  Brute,"  and  covering  his  head  with  his  toga,  that 
he  might  not  look  upon  the  murderous  deed!  In  the 
same  place,  the  famous  speech  of  Marcus  Antonius  was 


ROME.  251 

dfelivered,  at  Caesar's  funeral.  On  that  historic  plot  of 
ground  were  the  Temple  of  Jupiter,  the  Temple  of  Vesta, 
the  Temple  of  Julius  Caesar,  the  Tomb  of  Romulus,  and 
the  Great  Rostrum.  One  would  need  months  in  which 
to  study  these  classic  ruins,  buried  under  the  debris  of 
centuries.  The  work  of  systematic  excavation  is  going 
on  to-day.  When  we  were  there,  the  excavating  force 
were  unearthing  human  skeletons,  in  fifty  different  places. 
In  niches  in  the  walls,  we  saw  many  of  these  skeletons 
intact.  From  the  Forum,  we  could  see  the  old  Senate 
Chamber,  the  Arch  of  Titus,  and  the  Palace  of  the 
Caesars. 

On  the  way  to  the  Colosseum,  we  passed  through  the 
Arch  of  Titus.  To  the  south  of  the  Colosseum,  we  were 
taken  under  the  Arch  of  Constantine  the  Great.  We 
found  the  Colosseum  the  greatest  of  ail  the  ruins — in- 
deed, it  is  the  greatest  in  the  world.  It  was  built  in  the 
year  80,  A.  D.,  by  Vespasian,  and  was  capable  of  seating 
100,000  people.  There  the  most  brutal  sports  were  wit- 
nessed; and  there  many  hundreds  of  Christians  lost  their 
lives.  "Christianos  ad  Leones,"  was  the  blood-thirsty  cry 
They  Kept  the  '^^  ^he  pcrsccutors  of  the  followers  of 
Faith.  Christ,  as  the  Martyr  Christians,  men  and 
women,  were  hurried  from  the  cells,  to  feed  the  hungry 
lions!  Here  we  were  shown  the  dens  where  the  wild 
beasts  were  kept  for  three  days  without  food,  before  the 
contest;  and  the  dungeons,  from  which  the  Christians 
were  brought,  that  they  might  die  for  their  faith.  In  those 
contests,  there  were  three  classes  of  people  in  the  arena 
with  the  ferocious  animals :  The  gladiators,  the  condemned 
malefactors  and  the  Christians.  The  gladiators,  upon 
entering  the  arena,  faced  the  emperor  with  these  word's, 
"We,  who  are  about  to  die,  salute  thee !"    This  marvelous 


252  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

pile,  we  left  for  the  Pantheon,  one  of  the  oldest,  and'the 
best  preserved  of  all  the  ancient  structures  of  Rome. 

The  Pantheon  was  built  by  Marcus  Agrippa,  in  the  year 
27,  B.  C.  It  was  dedicated  to  all  the  god's,  hence  the 
name  "Pantheon,"  The  great  portico  is  supported  by 
twenty-four  grey  and  red  granite  columns,  three  rows 
deep,  with  eight  in  a  row.  The  double  bronze  doors  re- 
quire six  men  to  open  and  shut  them.  The  interior  is 
142  feet  in  diameter,  and  142  in  height.  The  roof  is  dome- 
shaped,  and  oif  stone,  with  a  circular  opening  at  the  apex 
of  the  cone,  2.y  feet  in  diameter.  This  opening  is  the  only 
source  from  which  the  building  receives  light.  The  Pan- 
theon is  now  used  as  a  church.  The  tombs  of  Victor  Em- 
manuel, the  First,  and  the  late  King  Humbert,  are  on 
the  right.  On  the  left,  is  the  tomb  of  Raphael.  The  Pan- 
theon is  destined  to  be  the  Westminster  Abbey  of  Italy. 
In  an  adjoining  convent,Galileo  was  tried  on  June  22, 
1633,  for  insisting  that  the  earth  moved  around  the  sun. 

From  the  Pantheon,  we  drove  to  St.  Peter's  and  spent 
the  rest  of  the  day  in  studying  the  architecture,  and  the 
principal  works  of  art  found  in  the  grealt  sanctuary.  One 
great  work  in  marble,  "Vanity  and  Modesty,"  captivated 
everyone.  The  figures  were  chiseled  from  Pentelic  mar- 
ble. So  perfectly  was  the  ideal  of  the  sculptor  realized, 
that  tradition  informs  us  of  a  young  ItaHan's  committing 
suicide,  on  account  of  having  fallen  in  love  with  the 
life-like  statue  of  Modesty.  Behind  the  High  Altar  is 
the  bronze  chair  of  St.  Peter,  borne  up  by  Augustme, 
Ambrose,  Chrysostom  and  Athanasius.  It  was  made  from 
the  bronze  fastenings  taken  from  the  Colosseum.  It  was 
constructed  by  Bermini,  at  a  cost  of  $120,000.  Near  the 
central  door  is  a  porphyry  slab,  upon  which  the  emperors 


ROME.  253 

were  crowned.    The  floor  is  of  variegated  marble.     The 

length  of  St.  Peter's  is  615  feet,  height  of  the  dome  to 

the  top  of  the  cross,  on  the  Canopy  of  the 

The  World's  ^  '  ^"^ 

Great  St.  Pctcr  s  tomb,  is  448  feet,  height  of  the 

Cathedral.  navc,  1 52  feet,  width  df  nave,  435  feet,  and 
width  of  aisles,  33  feet.  The  frieze  around  the  Cupola 
bears  the  following  inscription  in  mosaic :  "  Tu  es  Petrus, 
et  super  hianc  petram  aedificabo  ecclesiam'  meam,  et  tibi 
dabo  claves  regni  caelorum."  Under  the  dome  is  the 
venerable  head  and  face  of  St.  Peter,  also  done  in  mosaic. 
Owing  to  the  immense  proportions  of  St.  Peter's,  the  ob- 
jects within  the  area  lose  much  of  their  effect,  suffering 
as  they  do  from  contrast.  The  dome  of  St.  Peter's  has 
always  been  considered  one  of  the  sublimest  efforts  of 
architecture.  "The  Cupola  is  glorious.  Viewed  in  its  de- 
sign, in  its  altitude,  in  its  decorations,  as  a  whole,  or  in 
part,  it  enchants  the  eye,  it  satisfies  the  taste,  it  expands 
the  soul." 

The  interior  of  the  church  is  imposing,  less  so  from  the 
grand,  colossal  dimensions,  than  from  the  harmony  and 
proportion  of  the  lines. 

Tired  out  with  the  hard  day's  work,  we  went  to  our 
hotels,  passing,  on  the  way,  the  Houses  of  Parliament, 
and  the  Spiral  Column  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  surmounted 
by  a  bronze  statue  of  St.  Paul.  This  column  stands  in 
the  Colonna  Piazza,  the  centre  of  modern  Rome.  After 
dinner,  we  went  out  to  do  a  little  shopping,  at  Merola's 
and  other  places. 

Rome  is  a  most  beautiful  city.  It  is  a  model  of  cleanli- 
ness, and  is  the  best  watered  city  in  the  world.  There 
was  a  great  satisfaction  in  being  at  liberty  to  drink  of 
the  fountains  all  over  the  city,  knowing  that  the  waters 
were  pure  and  wholesome.     When  the  "Mistress  of  the 


254  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

World"  was  in  her  prime,  it  required  fourteen  aqueducts 
to  supply  the  city  with  water.  Many  of  those  aqueducts 
brought  the  water  from  long  distances — one,  the  Anio 
Novus,  conveying  the  water  62  miles,  48  miles  of  which 
was  underground. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Rome. 

^TpUESDAY  was  optional  day,  and  we  planned  our 
-■-  own  independent  itinerary.  First,  we  went  to  the 
bank,  on  Piazza  di  Spagna,  for  our  mail,  and  were  richly 
rewarded  by  more  letters  from  home.  Thence  we  went 
shopping  at  an  art  store;  and  at  nine  o'clock,  to  Cook's 
Tourist  Office,  to  arrange  for  our  tickets,  as  far  as  Lon- 
don. This  done,  we  hired  a  carriage  and  guide,  and  were 
off  for  a  fine  morning's  work.  We  drove  first  to  the 
Capitoline  Museum,  to  see  the  "Dying  Gladiator,"  the 
"Marble  Faun,"  and  the  "Dying  Gaul."  Many  other 
noted  works  we  saw  there,  but  these  three  were  the  ob- 
jects of  chief  interest. 

At  the  head  of  the  sitonie  steps,  leading  to  the  Piazza, 
were  the  statues  of  Castor  and  Pollux.  There,  too,  is 
the  first  mile-stone  of  the  old  Appian  Way.  On  this  spot 
the  Temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus  stood,  and  in  the  gar- 
den is  the  famous  Tarpeian  Rock,  from  Which  criminals 
were  hurled'  to  death. 

On  your  left,  a's  you  ascend,  is  the  wolf-kennel,  in  the 

The  Wolf  traditional  place  where  Romulus  and  Remus 
Kennel.  were  nourished  by  the  wolf.  These  wolves 
are  kept  at  the  expense  of  the  city,  just  as  the  bears  are 
in  the  Grotto  at  Bern,  Switzerland. 

From  the  Capitoline  Hill,  we  drove  toward  the  Tiberine 
Island,  passing  the  "hired  house"  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 
On  the  island,  in  the  mi^-Tiber,  there  are  the  ruin's  of  the 
Temple  of  ^^sculapius.  At  present,  the  southern  point 
is  occupied  by  the  city  morgue.    There  are  the  ruins  of 


256  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

the  old  Bridge,  built  by  Augustus  Caesar.  The  island  is 
connected  with  the  mainland  by  bridges,  on  each  side. 

Near  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  we  saw  the  well-pre- 
served "Temple  of  Vesta,"  the  "Temple  of  Fortune,"  and 
the  house  of  Rienzi^  the  last  of  the  Tribunes. 

Thence  we  drove  to  St.  Paul's  Gate,  passing  the  ancient 
quay  of  Rome.  Just  outside  the  city  wall  we  halted  at 
the  Pyramid  of  Caius  Cestius,  built  of  stone  brought  from 
Egypt,  to  commemorate  the  victories  lie  had  won  on 
African  soil.  We  drove  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Tiber, 
^u   ^     1.    r    till  we  came  to  St.  Paul's  Church.     There 

The  Tombs  of 

Paul  and      the  bodics  of  Paul  and  Timothy  were  buried, 
Timothy.       ^^^  tradition  tells  us,  that  near  St.  Paul's, 
at   the   Church   of   the   "Three   Fountains,"  'the    Chief 
Apostle  was  beheaded. 

Here  we  were  shown  the  miraculous  crucifix,  in  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Bridget.  She  was  once  praying  before  this 
shrine,  when,  it  is  said,  Christ  descended  from  the  cross, 
and  embraced  her !  Among  the  many  objects  of  great  in- 
terest, were  the  Alabaster  Pillars,  supporting  the  Canopy 
over  the  Tomb  of  St.  Paul.  These  were  imported  from 
Egypt.  This  canopy  is  in  part  covered  with  pure  gold. 
Mosaics  of  The  mo'saics  of  the  Popes  are  well  worth 
Popes.  seeing.     The  pictures  of  all  the  chief  Pre- 

lates, from  St.  Peter  to  Leo  the  XIII.,  are  there.  There 
is  also  a  niche  for  the  portrait  of  the  present  Pope,  Pius 
X.  This  mosaic  is  in  process  of  execution  at  the  present 
time. 

From   St.   Paul's  we  drove  across  the  Campagna  di 
Roma,  to  the  Catacombs  of  St.  Calixtus. 

The  Catacombs.  •  ,      ,  r  i 

We  paid  the  entrance  fee,  and  were  con- 
ducted, by  a  genial  friar,  down  into  the  underground 
necropolis.    There  are  many  sections  of  the  Catacombs — 


ROME.  '  257 

in  all,  hundreds  of  miles  of  tunneling,  through  the  Tufa 
rock,  having  been  explored  undfer  the  Campagna. 
Formerly  the  Popes'  remains  were  interred  in  those  Cata- 
combs ;  but  they  have  all  been  removed  to  St.  Peter's. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  bodies  were  buried  there,  but 
most  of  them  have  been  removed.  Occasionally,  you  will 
see  a  skeleton,  or  a  mummy.  In  those  Catacombs,  the 
Christians  took  refuge,  in  times  of  persecution — often 
meeting  there  for  the  wt)rship  of  Christ,  together,  in 
safety. 

Thence  we  drove  to  the  old  Appian  Way,  leading  from 

TheAppian  ^^^  Appian  Gate  of  Rome  to  the  ancient 
"w^ay-  City  of  Capua.  This  was  the  moist  import- 
ant of  the  Roman  roads,  when  Rome  controlled  the  world'. 
The  "Via  Appia"  wa's  built  by  Appius  Claudius,  from 
whom  it  took  its  name.  On  the  Appian  Way  is  the 
Church  of  "Domine,  Quo  Vadis."  There  we  saw  a  part 
of  the  pavement  of  the  famous  old  Road.  It  composes  a 
part  of  the  floor  of  the  church.  On  this  spot,  tradition 
says,  St.  Peter  met  with  the  Lord,  whose  footprints  are 
here  shown,  and  propounded  the  question,  "Master, 
whither  goest  Thou?"  This  tradition  gave  the  church 
the  name  by  which  it  is  still  known. 

Farther  along  the  Appian  Way,  under  a  tall  cypress, 
we  saw  the  Tomb  of  Scipio  Africanus.  Still  farther,  and 
we  cam'e  to  the  celebrated  baths  of  Caracalla  Antoninus. 
Sixteen  hundred  persons  could  bathe  at  once  in  that  mar- 
velous structure.  There  were  cold,  tepid,  and  hot  baths, 
as  in  modern  bath  houses. 

We  drove  through  the  Appian  Gate,  into  the  city,  pass- 
ing over  the  "Circus  Maxentius,"  where  the  races  and 
games  used  to  take  place,  while  the  emperor  sat  on  the 
balcony  of  his  palace,  and  witnessed  the  progress  of  the 


258  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

entertainments.  Thence  we  crossed  the  Tiber  by  the 
bridge  nearest  the  south  wall,  driving  to  the  Janiculum 
Hill,  where  the  Temple  of  Janus  once  stood.  On  the 
temple  site,  stands  the  fine  equestrian  statue  of  Garibaldi. 
There  were  Caesar's  famous  gardens.  From  there,  we 
enjoyed  a  superb  view  of  the  city  and  the  Campagna  di 
Roma,  lying  about  it.  The  ground's  are  beautifully  kept, 
and  about  the  statue,  the  elite  gather  in  their  carriages, 
by  appointment,  in  the  summer  afternoons,  to  visit  with 
one  another,  instead  of  calling  at  the  residences  in  the  city. 
Stretching  in  the  distance,  from  northwest  to  south- 
ea'st,  are  the  Apennine  Mountains,  forming  a  noble  back- 
ground for  the  great  City  of  Romulus.  A  little  way 
down  from  the  summit  of  Mons  Janiculus,  is  the  lovely 
Pauline  Fountain,  as  it  bursts  from  an  undlerground  aque- 
duct, supplied  by  a  spring  more  than,  thirty  miles  distant. 
It  breaks  into  roaring  cascades,  and  falls  into  a  great 
reservoir,  from  which  it  is  conveyed  to  the  turbines  below, 
where  it  furnishes  the  power  for  the  corn  mills,  foundries, 
and  other  kinds  of  machinery.  Thence  it  is  carried  to 
supply  several  of  the  city  fountains,  before  it  falls  into 
the  Tiber,  and  begins  its  course  to  the  sea. 

A  little  further  down,  we  passed'  the  traditional  site 
Martyrdom  of    whcre  Pcter  wa's  crucified,  with  his  head 
Peter.  downward.     The  beautiful  Church  of  "St. 

Peter's  on  the  Mountain"  is  built  on  the  exact  site.  I 
shall  always  remember  the  lovely  serpentime  drive  up  that 
hill.  The  grade  was  excellent,  and  the  trees  on  each  side 
of  the  road,  with  the  rustic  rock  wall,  lent  greatly  to  the 
attrattiveness  of  the  panorama  of  delight.  We  recrossed 
the  river  on  St.  Bartholomew's  Bridge,  and  were  soon  at 
the  Marini-^in  time' for  late  lunch. 

After  lunch,  we'  did  some  shopping,  and  took  the  tram 


ROME.  259 

for  the  Basilica  of  San  Giovani  Laterano.  Our  chief 
The  Santa  reason  for  visiting  this  greit  church,  was, 
scaia.  that  in  one  of  the  chapels  was  the  "Santa 
Scala,"  or  Pilate's  Stair-case.  The  Santa  Scala  consists 
of  twenty-eight  marble  steps.  The  stair-case  was  brought 
by  the  Empress,  St.  Helen,  from  the  palace  of  Pilate,  in 
Jerusalem,  in  the  year  326,  A.  D.  The  tradition  is  that 
on  these  very  steps,  Jesus  began  the  Via  Crucis.  Many 
hundreds  of  devotees  daily  ascend  upon  their  knees,  as  an 
act  df  worsliip.  The  old  marble  steps  were  worn  so 
nearly  through,  that  it  long  ago  became  necessary  to 
cover  them  with  wood,  for  their  protection. 

From  St.  John  Lateran,  we  went  to  San  Pietro  in  Vin- 
coli,  not  far  'from  the  Colosseum.  There  we  saw  one  of 
Augeio's  '^^'^  'two  greatest  products  of  the  skill  of 
Greatest-Work.  Michacl  Augelo.  "Moscs"  sits  in  a  great 
marble  chair,  holding,  in  his  right  hand,  the  two  tables 
of  the  law.  It  is  a  great  triumph  of  the  sculptor's  art. 
The  other  great  statue  referred  to,  is  "David,"  which  we 
saw  in  the  Tribune  of  David,  in  Florence.  There  young 
David  stands,  with  his  sling  in  his  right  hand,  and  a 
smooth  stone  in  his  left.  Which  was  the  finer,  I  was  un- 
able to  say.  The  one  was  perfect  of  the  aged  lawgiver, 
and  the  other  was  as  perfect  of  the  youthful  deliverer,  of 
the  Children  df  Israel. 

In  this  church,  in  a  bronze  chest  behind  the  main  altar, 
I  saw  the  Jerusalem  and  Rome  chains  with  which  Peter 
was  bound.  These  were  miraculously  joined  together,  so 
the  devout  monk,  Fra  Rafael,  told  me !  Fra  Rafael  was 
very  kind  and  courteous  to  me,  in  unlocking  the  door  and 
the  chest,  that  I  might  see  the  chain's. 

We  returned  past  the  Colosseum,  and  through  the  ar- 
cade, to  our  hotel,  'for  dinner.    After  a  brief  outing,  visit- 


26o  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

ing  the  beautiful  stores,  I  returned  to  my  room,  wrote  a 
letter,  and  retired  for  the  night. 

I  was  deeply  impressed,  as  well  as  delighted,  with  the 
city  of  Rome.  When  it  was  founded,  no  one  knows,  for 
its  foundation  is  lost  in  a  labyrinth  of  mythology.  Hence 
it  is  called  the  "Eternal  City."  It  has  a  population  of 
500,000,  and  is  rapidly  growing.  Its  inhabitants  once 
numbered  more  than  a  million.  Rome  was  built  upon 
seven  hills :  The  Capitoline,  Palatine,  EsquiHne,  Viminal, 
Aventine,  Quirinal,  and  Caelian.  Rome  is  a  walled  city. 
The  walls  are  constructed  of  brick  and  stone,  and  are 
fifty  feet  in  height.  On  the  left  bank,  the  wall  measures 
ten  mile's,  that  on  the  right  bank,  nearly  four,  making  in 
all,  nearly  fourteen  miles.  There  are  twelve  gates  in  the 
walls  of  modern  Rome. 

Rome  has  a  classic  atmosphere,  which  can  be  equalled 
by  only  one  other  city  in  the  world.  It  has  been  more 
closely  interwoven  with  the  civilization  of  the  human  race, 
than  any  other  city.  In  some  single  point,  other  cities 
may  excel  it.  It  has  no  Golgotha,  and  it  has  no  Acropolis ; 
but  all  the  threads  of  ancient  history  converge  in  Rome, 
and  from  Rome,  all  the  threads  of  modern  history  diverge. 

The  City  on  the  Tiber  has,  from  the  first,  been  insepar- 
ably identified  with  the  Christian  Church.  The  consid- 
eration of  the  relation  of  Christianity  to  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, would  embrace  the  following  epochs:  When  Chris- 

Reiigionsin  tianity  was  brought  into  conflict  with  the 
Rome.  old  religion  of  the  Romans,  and  was  grad- 
ually converting  the  Roman  world  to  the  faith ;  that 
period  during  which  Chr^sitianity  became  the  state  and  of- 
ficial religion  of  the  empire,  from  the  time  of  Constantine, 
extending  over  five  hundred  years ;  and  that  long  period, 
known  as  the  Middle  or  Dark  Ages. 


ROME.  261 

The  religion  of  the  ancient  Romans  originated  in  the 
worship,  by  each  family,  of  its  own  household,  and  deities, 
in  whom  the  souls  of  their  ancestors  were  supposed  to  be 
enshrined.  The  principal  household  divinity  was  the  god^ 
dess  Vesta;  who  was  regarded  as  defending  the  hearth- 
stone ;  so  that  not  only  were  there  several  tempLes  erected 
in  different  parts  of  the  city  for  her  worship,  but  each 
family  had  its  peculiar  shrine,  at  which  divine  honors 
were  paid  to  her. 

The  name  of  the  x\postie  Paul  is  intimaitely  connected 
with  the  history  of  Christianity  in  Rome.  The  Epistle  to 
the  Romans  gives  evidence  that  he  was  familiar  with  the 
condition  of  the  Church  at  that  place.  This  Church  had 
doubtless  been  founded,  at  an  early  date,  by  some  of  the 
converts,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  styled  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  as  "Si rangers  of  Rome."  For  two  whole 
years,  Paul  remained  in  Rome,  under  a  Roman  guard,  in 
his  own  "hired  house."  During  his  residence  in  that  city, 
no  less  than  six  of  the  Epistles,  that  bear  his  name,  were 
written:  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Philippians,  Colossians, 
Second  Timothy,  and  Philemon. 

The  Romans  did  not  persecute  the  early  Christians  for 
their  faith  in  Christ.  The  cruel  sufferings,  which  they  en- 
dured at  Rome  under  Nero,  were  due  to  an  effort,  on  the 
part  of  that  wicked  tyrant,  to  render  the  Jews  odious,  by 
making  one  of  the  Jewish  sects  responsible  for  the  burn- 
ing of  the  city,  of  which  crime  Nero,  alone,  was  guilty. 

There  are  no  reliable  records  of  the  exact  length  of 
Paul's  life.  We  know  that  during  this  persecution,  about 
the  year  66,  A.  D.,  Paul  suffered  martyrdom,  by  being  be- 
headed at  the  famous  "Three  Fountains,"  outside  the 
city  walls.  We  were  shown  this  place,  and  also  the  hired 
house,  where  the  great  Apostle  dwelt. 


262  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

In  taking-  leave  of  Rome,  I  was  led  to  consider  our 
chief  indebtedness  to  the  ancient  peoples  of  the  world :  To 
the  Egyptians  and  Phoenicians,  we  are  indebted  for  the 
science,  and  art,  of  letters ;  to  the  Arabians,  for  the  char- 
acters employed  in  our  ordinary  arithmetical  calculations ; 
the  Greeks  gave  us  the  highest  forms  of  culture  and  art ; 
the  Romans  brought  jurisprudence,  and  the  principles  of 
government  to  a  high  state  of  perfection ;  and  to  the  He- 
brews, the  chosen  people  of  God,  we  owe  a  debt  of  ever- 
lasting gratitude,  for  the  pure  and  holy  religion  of  Jeho- 
vah ;  for  unto  the  Jew  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God. 
And  the  Messiah,  whom  we  worship,  was  born  O'f  that 
honored,  royal  race. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
Pompeii. 

EARLY  on  the  morning  of  May  the  founth,  we  rose 
and  completed  our  preparations  for  the  return  to 
JMapies.  About  mine  o'clock,  we  left  Rome,  on  the  second 
section  of  cars,  for  the  beautiful  city  of  Naples. 

When  you  have  enjoyed  a  visit  to  that  favored  place, 
you  do  not  wonder  that  the  Romans  had  in  constant  use 
this  proverb:  "See  Naples  and  die!"  For  it  is  not  only 
the  metropolis,  but  the  most  attractive  city  of  the  great 
country  of  Italy.  To  the  ancient  Italians,  a  visit  to  the 
new  city  by  the  sea  was  the  very  goal  of  their  ambition. 

From  Rome  to  Naples,  we  enjoyed  another  delightful 
ride.  The  mountains,  fields  and  gardens,  revealed  to  us 
beauties  that  they  had  withheld  from  us  as  we  journeyed 
to  Rome,  under  the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  after  part 
of  the  day.  I  could  not  decide  which  I  enjoyed  the  more, 
as  the  two  trips  were  counterparts,  and  together  made  a 
complete  whole.  It  was  a  great  privilege  to  see  that  won- 
derful, historic  country  in  the  sweet  springtime,  when  the 
infinite  variety  in  the  green  foliage  imparts  such  an  in- 
describable charm  to  the  landscape.  The  flax,  with  its 
lithe  form,  draped  in  emerald,  and  bonneted  with  azure, 
I  shall  always  remember  with  pleasure.  The  thatched 
houses  and  quaint,  fantastic  costumes  oif  the  peasantry  in- 
terested me  very  much.  We  had  an  excellent  lunch  on 
the  way,  arriving  at  Naples  at  two-thirty  in  the  afternoon. 

From  Naples,  we  went  to  Pompeii,  fifteen  miles  dis- 
tant, without  a  change  of  cars.  There  we  saw  the  most 
The  Hushed  City,  remarkable  sights  in  the  excavations  that 


264  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

have  been  made,  and  are  still  in  progress.  This  ancient, 
rich  and  profligate  city  numbered  more  than  400,000.  In 
its  life,  the  entire  civilization  of  the  Romans  was  re- 
flected, for  Pompeii  was  the  legitimate  product  of  the 
age.  Within  its  walls,  it  held  specimens  of  every  gift 
which  luxury  and  power  could  afford.  In  it,  a  perfect 
model  of  the  great  Roman  Empire  was  seen. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-third  of  November,  79, 
A.  D.,  Pompeii  was  destroyed  by  an  outburst  of  mud, 
water,  ashes,  pumice  stone  and  fire,  from  Monte  Somma. 
With  Pick  and  Undter  this  terrific  torrent,  the  city  was 
Shovel.  buried  many  feet,  and  hermetically  sealed 
for  many  centuries.  About  two-thirds  of  the  doomed  city 
has  been  excavated,  and  the  work  was  being  vigorously 
pushed  when  we  were  there. 

Every  hour  new  discovereies  were  being  made — new 
secrets  were  being  revealed.  As  already  intimated,  thou- 
sands of  specimens,  the  fruits  of  excavation,  have  been 
placed  in  the  Museum  at  Naples,  ranging  from  splendid 
statuary,  in  marble  and  bronze,  to  the  coins  and  jewelry, 
used  by  the  rich  in  the  most  prosperous  days  of  Pompeii. 

The  work  of  the  excavators  uneartlied  magnificent 
public  and  private  edifices.  The  Forum,  the  Basilica,  the 
Temple  of  Jupiter,  the  Arch  of  Nero,  the  Street  of  the 
Tombs,  the  Temple  of  Apollo,  the  Forum  Baths,  the 
Temple  of  Fortune,  The  Tragic  Theatre,  the  Temple  of 
yEsculapius,  the  Comic  Theatre,  the  Temple  of  Isis,  the 
Amphitheatre — ^all  public  buildings — bears  eloquent  testi- 
mony to  the  splendor  and  magnificence  of  the  old  aris- 
tocratic city. 

The  various  temples  show  something  of  the  character 
of  their  religion.  It  did  not  consist  alone  in  the  worship 
of  the  Roman  deities,  but  also  an  important  per  cent,  of 
the  people  were  devotees  of  the  gods  of  the  Egyptians. 


POMPEII.  265 

Among  the  most  important  private  buildings  that  we 
saw  were  the  Casa  della  Margherita  Regina,  the  House 
of  Sallust,  the  Villa  of  Diomede,  and  the  House  of  the 
Labyrinth.  In  those  fine  dwellings,  there  were  some  ex- 
cellent mural  paintings,  and  mosaics  in  the  floors  and 
pavements.  Among  those  works  of  decorative  ai't,  were 
Cupid  Scenes,  Boys  Making  Wreaths,  Chariot-Racing, 
Open-air  Festivals,  Vintage,  Wine-Testing,  Triumph  of 
Bacchus,  Hercules  and  Mercury,  Mars  and  Venus,  Diana 
and  Actseon,  Ariadne  and  Theseus,  and  Hero  and  Lean- 
der. 

I  was  shown  one  dog  kennel,  or  casa  del  oanile.  On 
many  of  the  thresholds  were  the  fine  outline  of  Bruin, 
in  mosaic,  and  on  others,  the  warning,  "Cave  Canem,"  or 
beware  of  the  dog,  inlaid  in  marble. 

Some  df  the  most  recent  excavations  are  Casa  della 
Caccia,  Casa  di  Eroole,  and  the  House  of  Triptolemus. 
But  the  most  interesting  of  the  recently  discovered  places 
is  the  House  of  the  Vettii.  Here  you  have  the  best  ex- 
ample of  the  great  wealth  and  luxury  of  the  city  yet  un- 
earthed. In  this  house  are  some  fine  frescoes  and  carv- 
ings. Among  the  best  of  those  are  the  fight  between  Pan 
and  Cupid,  the  Infant  Hercules  strangling  Snakes,  the 
Slaughter  of  Python,  the  Sacrilege  of  Agamemnon,  Cu- 
pids at  Work  and  Play,  and  Winged  Maidens  gathering 
Flowers.  In  the  kitchens,  we  saw  the  stoves  and  cooking 
utensils,  arranged,  just  as  they  had  been  placed,  on  that 
fateful  day !  The  furniture  of  the  Tricliniums,  or  dining- 
rooms,  was  found  undisturbed,  as  it  was  left  on  the  after- 
noon df  the  fearful  cataclysm ! 

In  those  homes  and  temples,  many  hundreds  of  human 
bodies  have  been  found — some  standing,  some  sitting, 
some  eating  and  drinking,  some  at  work,  some  at  play. 


266  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

In  one  of  the  temples,  two  hundred  bodies  were  excavat- 
ed, the  inference  being,  that  they  had  lied  thither,  seek- 
ing the  protection  of  the  divinities,  in  the  hour  of  their 
dire  distress! 

In  the  Museum,  I  saw  the  bread,  pies,  cakes,  walnuts, 
chestnuts,  and  other  nuts,  and  fruits,  taken  from  the  pan- 
tries of  the  houses  that  I  have  been  describing.  There, 
too,  I  saw  the  paints,  table  cutlery,  cooking  utensils,  bits 
of  clothing,  wood-work,  bronze  work,  petrified  trees,  jars, 
vases,  chariot,  carriage  and  cart-wheels,  with  the  iron  tires 
still  on  them,  and  the  bodies  of  men,  women  and  children. 
All  of  this  was  intensely,  awfully,  interesting,  but  depress- 
ing in  the  extreme  to  the  spirits !  One  c)bject  there  ap- 
pealed specially  to  me.  It  was  the  skeleton  of  a  dog, 
caught  in  the  awful  attitude  of  the  death  agony.  This  I 
mention  because  it  tells  the  dreadful  story  of  agony  and 
death,  visited  upon  that  wicked  city,  on  that  occasion! 

The  streets  were  paved  with  large  blocks  of  stone. 
There  were  also  large  stepping  stones,  where  the  streets 
and  sidewalks  intersected.  In  the  streets,  deep  ruts  were 
cut  by  the  wheels  of  the  carts,  carriages  and  wagons.  On 
Cemetery  street,  there  were  many  splendid  ruins  of  cre- 
matories, tomb  stones  and  sarcophagi.  All  of  this  exhib- 
ited a  high  degree  of  civilization  and  culture.  Their  wine- 
cellars  showed  that  the  people  lived  as  only  the  rich  could 
live. 

That  was  an  eventful  day.  Such  an  afternoon  I  had 
never  spent.  We  seemed  to  be  almost  profaning  a  city, 
made  sacred  by  the  visitation  of  an  awful  calamity !  We 
The  Silence  of  Were  walking  among  the  ashes  of  the  dead ! 
Centuries.  We  wcre  deciphering  the  history  of  the  de- 
stroyed city,  by  interpreting  the  meagre  traces  which  the 
deluge  of  fire  and  steam  had  left ! 


VESUVIUS  .  267 

That  man  would  be  devoid  of  sentiment,  and  human 
sensibilities,  who  could  look  upon  those  sights  unmoved, 
or  without,  in  imagination,  living  over  the  scenes  of  the 
day  of  horror,  when  the  proud  city  perished  from  the  face 
of  the  earth ! 

Thursday  morning.  May  the  fifth,  we  were  up  early 
again,  and,  betimes,  were  in  the  tender,  going  ashore  in  a 
drenching  rain.  The  artillery  of  heaven  flashed,  volleyed 
and  thundered,  as  we  were  landing  at  the  quay. 

At  length,  we  were  seated  in  carriages,  and  off  for  the 
Vesuvius  station,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  five  miles 
away.  There  we  took  the  trolley  to  the  end  of  the  cog 
The  Great  ^o^*^  '>  ^^^  thcnce  wcrc  pushcd  up  by  an  ad- 

voicano.  d'itional  car  with  the  proper  attachments  for 
the  ratchet  and  pinion  system.  From  there  we  took  the 
funicular  section,  where  we  were  drawn  up  by  cable,  at 
an  angle  of  about  fifteen  degrees.  When  we  left  the 
station  at  the  top,  we  had  a  hard,  steep  climb  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  cone.  All  the  way  up  from  the  first  station, 
on  each  side  of  the  track,  there  were  great  fields  of  red, 
and  greyish-black,  I'ava.  The  last  period  of  great  activity 
was  in  the  year  1900. 

As  we  slowly  climbed  the  great  mountain,  the  prospect 
became  increasingly  grand.  To  see  the  Bay  of  Naples 
at  its  best,  one  must  ascend  the  mountain  side.  Never 
have  I  seen  the  coloring  in  the  sea  so  exquisite.  After  the 
storm-clouds  had  rolled  away,  the  atmosphere  was  left 
clear  and  pure.  The  perfect  reflections  of  the  bright  blue 
sky,  and  the  emerald  green  of  the  grass  and  trees  on  the 
mountain-sides,  mingled  to  produce  the  most  indescrib- 
ably beautiful  tints  in  the  waters  of  the  unrivaled  Bay. 
It  was  a  rich  treat  to  enjoy  such  a  lovely  scene. 

The  government  makes  it  obligatory,  upon  the  visitor, 
to  secure  the  service  of  a  licensed  sfuide.    The  steam  was 


268  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

issuing  through  a  thousand  fissures  in  the  volcanic  cone. 
The  wind  was  in  a  contrary  direction,  and  we  were  almost 
suffocated  by  the  sulphur-laden  cloud  of  smoke  and  steam 
that  enveloped  us. 

On  account  of  the  violent  storm  that  had  raged  during 
the  early  morning,  the  volcano  was  very  unusually  active 
— in  the  language  of  my  guide,  "very  activa" — that  day. 
As  we  went  up  the  mountain,  knee-deep  through  the 
cinders  and  scoriae,  the  detonations  became  more  fre- 
quent and  terrible.  With  each  explosion,  the  situation 
looked  more  and  more  threatening.  Accompanying  each 
report,  thousands  of  tons  of  molten  lava  would  be  thrown 
up,  which  would  fall  all  about  us  with  an  unearthly  hiss- 
ing !  As  the  lumps  of  red-hot  lava  fell  with  a  dull  thud,  I 
hastened  with  Italian  coins,  to  bury  them  in  the  soft 
scoriae  with  my  walking  stick.  These  I  wanted  for  sou- 
venirs. There,  I  succeeded  in  burning  up  my  tamarisk 
that  I  had  cut  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  to  bring  to 
A  Climb  to  the  America.  I  persisted  in  going  to  the  very 
Crater.  j-jni  of  the  cratcr.  My  guide  was  terrified, 
but  I  urged'  him  to  remain  about  the  summit,  for  three 
hours  or  more.  At  first,  I  could  see  nothing  of  the  fire, 
for  the  steam  that  was  blowing  so  thick,  and  enslirouding 
us  all  the  time.  Three  times  I  went  up  to  the  mouth  of 
the  crater,  and  looked  in,  while  the  explosions  were  in- 
creasing in  frequency  and  intensity. 

The  third  time,  I  climbed  to  a  higher  point.  I  lay 
stretched  at  full  length,  and  crawled  to  the  very  rim  of 
the  crater.  From  that  place  I  could  look  down  into  the 
fearful  caldron  below.  The  edge  was  so  hot  that  I  could 
not  hold  my  hand  upon  it.  I  broke  a  piece  of  sulphur  de- 
posit from  that  place,  and  wrapped  it  in  a  piece  of  paper 
till  it  cooled. 


VESUVIUS.  269 

As  I  looked  upon  the  red-hot  mass,  I  was  thrilled  with 
horror !  There  are  no  words  in  the  human  vocabulary  to 
A  Type  of  adequately  describe  the  terrible  scene ! 
Inferno.  There  was  a  moment  of  quiet,  and  then  I 
heard  a  fearful  explosion,  and  felt  the  mountain  quake 
and  tremble.  At  the  next  instant,  I  saw  a  vast  column 
of  molten  lava  rise  into  the  air  for  hundreds  of  feet.  I 
watched  it,  as  it  ascended,  and  followed  it  till  it  began 
to  'fall.  Much  of  it  fell  back  into  the  crater,  but  as  the 
wind  was  blowing  in  our  direction,  much  of  it  rained  all 
around  us,  with  an  awful  sound.  It  fell  about  us  as  the 
missiles  of  death !  My  guide  and  I  ran  for  our  lives,  and 
in  spite  of  that,  a  huge  lump  of  lava  fell  only  a  yard  or 
tw'o  from  my  feet.  After  that  eruption,  I  wanted  nothing 
more.  I  could  not  get  down  from  that  cone  one  moment 
too  soon. 

The  memory  of  the  sights  of  that  day  will  be  vivid 
to  me,  as  long  as  I  live.  That  night,  as  we  were  going 
from  the  wharf  to  the  Grosser  Kurfuerst,  the  bright  light 
on  the  cloud  of  steam  and  smoke,  at  each  eruption, 
showed  their  force  and  frequency.  That  pyrotechnic  dis- 
play was  awfully  glorious.  I  would  not  take  anything  for 
the  experiences  of  that  day,  but  those  experiences  I 
would  not  care  to  repeat. 

That  night,  at  twelve  o'clock,  there  was  a  terrific  ex- 
A  Violent  plosion,  followed  by  a  violent  eruption, 
upheavei.  when  thirty  feet  of  the  rim  of  the  crater, 
where  I  had  stood,  and  from  which  I  had  bfoken  the  tro- 
phy of  sulphur  deposit,  less  than  nine  hours  before,  fell 
into  the  jaws  of  the  mighty  volcano ! 

I  sought  my  berth  with  a  heart  full  of  ineffable  grati- 
tude to  God  for  His  gracious.  His  divine  protection  from 
the  awful  danger  of  which  I  had  not,  till  then,  been  fully 
appreciative. 


270  CRUISE  TO  THE  ORIENT. 

At  twelve  noon,  on  Friday,  May  the  sixth,  our  good 
ship  lifted  anchor  and  turned  her  prow  toward  southern 
France. 

•Saturday  morning,  we  encountered  a  storm.  The 
waves  dashed  over  the  forecastle,  and  the  wind  whistled 
through  the  rigging,  so  that  our  progress  was  somewhat 
retarded.  About  eight  o'clock  we  passed  the  Island  of 
Elba  on  the  right,  and  Corsica,  with  its  snow-clad  moun- 
tains, on  the  left.  We  were  then  in  full  view  of  the  great 
Alps.  From  that  on,  we  had  one  grand  panorama  of  the 
glorious  mountains,  wrapped  in  a  thick  blanket  of  the 
eternal  snow. 

At  three  p.  m.,  just  three  hours  late,  we  dropped  anchor 
Goodbye  to  i"  the  snug,  picturesque   harbor   of   Ville- 

Piigrims.  franche,  where  we  bade  farewell  to  our  fel- 
low pilgrims  to  the  Holy  Land. 

After  an  enchanting  drive,  over  the  entire  length  of  the 

^,-0     ...     Upper  and  Lower  Corniche  Road — the  fin- 

The  Corniche  ^^ 

Road.  est  in  all  the  world^ — our  party  of  the 
"Dauntless  Four"  returned  to  the  historic  City  of  Nice, 
and  yielded  to  the  attractions  of  "Nature's  sweet  restorer, 
balmy  sleep."  There  we  rested  through  the  Sabbath  Day, 
before  beginning  the  two  months  tour  through  Western 
Continental  Europe,  and  Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

*     *     * 

In  closing  this  series  of  letters,  I  am  profoundly  im- 
pressed! with  the  fact  that  it  is  but  a  record  of  the  good- 
ness and  mercy  of  God,  from  the  time  of  my  leaving 
home,  till  I  said  good-bye  to  my  companions,  who  had 
shared  with  me  the  unique  experiences  of  the  cruise  to 
the  Orient.  "Surely  the  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  His 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  His  works."  "The  Angel  of 
the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear  Him, 
and  delivereth  them." 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Abana    River,    99 

Acre,  Plain  of,   109 

Alexandria,    197 

Algiers,   51 

Geronimo, 53 

Government,   •     57 

Nationalities,   56 

Anti-Lebanon, 99 

Apoian  Way,   255-257 

Athens, 67 

Ancient, 68,  T2 

Mars  Hill,   ^2,  75 

Modern, Ti 

Ruins, 68 

Baalbek, ■ 95 

Bazaars,   104 

Beeroth, 133 

Bethany, 170 

Bethel, 131 

Bether, ,192 

Bethlehem, 191 

Church  of  Nativity 190 

Bethsaida, 114 

Bethsaida  Julias, 115 

Bethshemesh, 193 

Beyrout, 95,  107 

Black  Sea, 85 

Bosporus, •  ■ .  84 

Brook  Cherith,  137 

Brook  Kishon,  109 

Bukaa  Valley, 98 

Cairo, 228 

Museum  of  Antiquities,.   226 
Cana  of  Galilee, 1 10,  1 18 


Page 

Calvary, 179 

Cape  Bon, 58 

Cape  Farina, 57 

Capernaum, 1 14 

Capri, 240 

Carmel, 109 

Cayster  Valley, 86 

Chorazin,  1 14 

Citta  Vecchia, 60 

Cleopatra's  Needles,  ....   199 

Coele-Syria,  95 

Constantinople, "jy 

Galata,  78 

Pera, 78 

Scutari,   78 

Stambul,  78 

Cyprus, 93 

Damascus,  loi 

Dardanelles, 85 

Dead  Sea, 143 

Dervishes,   loi 

Desertas, 42 

Djamur,    58 

Dothan, 123 

Ebal  and  Gerizim, 127 

Egypt, 203 

Government, 233 

Inhabitants, 230 

Israel,  In  234 

Missions, 220,  236 

Name  of, 229 

Seasons,    231 

Ekron,   193 

Elisha's  Fountain,   139 


272 


INDEX. 


Page 

Endor,    121 

Engannim, 123 

Ephesus, 86 

Esdraelon,   no 

Europa  Point, 48 

Field  of  Boaz, 189 

Ford  of  Jordan, 145 

Franciscan  Monks, 41 

Funchal,  34 

Galateas, 57 

Galilee,  in 

Gethsemane,  174 

Gezer,  193 

Gibeah,  134 

Gibraltar, 46 

Gideon's  Fountain,    122 

Gilboa, 122 

Gilgal,  141 

Golden  Horn, 81 

Good  Samaritan  Inn 136 

Grosser  Kurfuerst,  17,20 

Ship's  Log, 21 

Supplies, 22 

Watches,  27 

Haifa, 109 

Harosheth,  109 

Hattin, in,  116 

Heliopolis, 216 

Herculaneum, 240,  243 

Hermon, 98 

Jacob's  Well, 128 

Jericho — 

Ancient, 138 

Herod's,   137 

Modern, 140 

Jerusalem,   151 

Altar,  Burnt  Offering,.  164 


Page 

Jerusalem — 

Gates, 153 

Hills,  ISS 

History, 152 

Holy  Sepulchre,  180 

Pools  and  Cisterns,.  .  .  .  161 

Walls,   153 

Jezreel,  123 

Joppa,  195 

Jordan  River,  147 

Joseph's  Tomb,  128 

Lebanon  Range, 94 

Cedars  of,    98 

Lebonah, 128 

Lydda, 194 

Madeira, 31 

Magdala, 114 

Malta, 59 

Marathon, 76 

Marmora, 'JJ 

Memphis,  222 

Messina,  Straits  of 238 

Mizpeh,   134 

Moslem,  Creed, 30 

Women,  43 

Worship, 55 

Naboth's  Vineyard, 122 

Nain,  121 

Naples, 242,  263 

Bay  of,   241 

Nazareth,  no,  118 

New  York  Harbor, 17 

Niagara,   11 

Nile,   203 

Delta, 200 

Overflow,  201 

In  Marble,  218 


INDEX. 


VZ 


Page 

Nile — Sources,  202 

Nilometer,  205,  227 

Nob,  134 

Obelisks, 216,  217 

Olives,  Mount  of, 172 

Olympus,  Range, 93 

Patmos,  91 

Pharos, 198 

Pillars  of  Hercules,  .  . .  .45,  47 

Piraeus,   (y"] 

Pizgah,   136 

Plain  of  Sharon, 194 

Polycarp,  89 

Pompeii,    243,  263 

Pompey's  Pillar, 198 

Porto  Santo, 43 

Pyramids,   207,  223 

Cheops, 207 

Step, 223 

Rachel's  Tomb,  188 

Ramah, 133 

Rameses, 222,  226 

Rephaim,    188 

Rhoda,  206,  221 

Rhodes,  91 

Rome,  253,  260 

Catacombs, 256 

Colosseum, 251 

Great  Forum, 250 

Museums — 

Capitoline,  255 

Statuary,   249 

Vatican, 249 

Pantheon, 252 

Pilate's    Stair-Case, 259 

St.  Paul's, 256 

St.  Peter's, 245,  253 


Page 
Rome — 

Sistine   Chapel,   250 

Roseta  Stone,  233 

St.  Paul's  Bay, 65 

Sahara  Desert, 209 

Sakkara, 223 

Samaria, 124 

Samaritan  Synagogue,  .. .  126 

Shechem, ,  . .  126 

Shiloh,   129 

Shunem, 120 

Sinjil,   130 

Smyrna, 90 

Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  . .  143 

Spain, 48 

Sphinx,  213 

Temple  of, 214 

Sweet  Waters  oi  Europe,.  81 

Sychar,   128 

Syrian  Religions  and  Mis- 
sions,    93 

Tabor, 119 

Tauras  Range, 92 

Tiberias, 115 

Tombs  of  Aois  Bulls,  .  .  .  224 

Tyre  and  Sidon,  95 

Vale  of  Siddim, 143,  149 

Valetta, 62 

Valley  of  Aijalon,. ...'...    194 

Valley  of  Roses, 192 

Valley  of  Sorek, 193 

Vesuvius,  240,  267 

Water  Clock, 248 

Waters  of  Merom, 147 

Wilderness  of  Judea, 136 

World's  S.  S.  Convention,  182 


